One domino falls . . .

Will moving fans, inside and out, at Prospera Centre 
be the final memory of the WHL in Chilliwack?

Well, the deed is done.
The WHL is in Victoria and the AHL isn’t.
And that’s the name of that game.
But two hockey teams had to be buried in order for the WHL to get across the Strait of Georgia.
The Chilliwack Bruins are dead. Long live the Bruins!
The ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings are soon to be dead! Long may they run in these playoffs!!
———
If you have been paying attention to this saga from the beginning, you didn’t learn a whole lot yesterday.
You learned that the deal closed on Tuesday. You learned that the Victoria franchise has a website and that it is running a name-the-team contest.
The most interesting stuff, however, came out of a news release, a copy of which arrived in my inbox from the Bruins.
In it, the WHL and the franchise’s former owners — at least, the majority owners — tried to explain the “multiple reasons that led to the decision” to sell the Bruins. What they did was lay the corpse at the feet of minority owners Moray Keith and Jim Bond.
To summarize that news release:
1. The WHL’s board of governors decided in February 2009 to “actively pursue securing a WHL franchise for the Victoria market.” The governors decided at that time “that should a franchise become available for sale, the WHL may elect to relocate the club to Victoria.”
2. The WHL chose not to sell an expansion franchise “due to the demand it would place on the talent pool of players.”
3. The Chilliwack market changed after arenas went up in Langley and Abbotsford and the NHL’s Calgary Flames relocated their AHL affiliate, the Heat, to Abbotsford. (What the WHL doesn’t mention is that the Calgary Flames own the Calgary Hitmen, so it seems an NHL team actually had a hand in the death of the Bruins.)
4. With the change in the market “it became obvious to the Bruins ownership group that the franchise needed to be restructured from a medium-size model to a small market-size model.”
5. With that in mind, according to the news release, the Bruins ownership group wanted to renegotiate its lease with the Chiefs Development Group, which holds the management contract for Prospera Centre. “What was requested was a lease concurrent to other small-market privately owned WHL teams,” the news release reads, without providing examples. What is interesting about this is that Keith is president of the Chiefs Development Group.
6. “This inability to secure a new lease contributed to the deterioration of our ownership group and their relationship with the Chiefs Development Group,” continues the release.
7. The Bruins’ ownership group — Brian Burke, Glen Sater, Darryl Porter, Keith and Bond — met on Jan. 13 and “agreed with the WHL to sell its franchise for the purpose of relocating the club to Victoria. Provided the terms of the sale met the conditions . . . the partners agreed no other offers would be considered.” . . . (In other words, the Bruins were sold without being placed on the open market. A source familiar with the situation has told me that RG Properties paid $5.5 million for the franchise.)
8. The WHL board of governors granted “conditional approval” for the sale on March 17. The deal closed Tuesday. According to the news release, “All conditions associated with the WHL's approval of the sale and relocation have been satisfied.”
———
All of this raises a couple of questions:
1. What kind of an arrangement is it that has the franchise’s minority owners controlling the building in which the team plays?
2. If the minority owners were part of the movement not to renegotiate the lease, why didn’t the majority owners simply sell the team to them?
3. How long until Keith and Bond tell their side of the story, including Keith‘s late attempt to purchase the franchise for $6.2 million?
———
Later, on Chilliwack radio station 89.5 The Hawk, Darryl Porter, the Bruins’ governor, pointed a finger at the Calgary Flames:
“There's a code in minor sports and especially in hockey. You don't do what Calgary did here. You don't do that and it's never happened. The fundamental bad break we got was when the city of Abbotsford built a building with no plan and they did that deal with the (AHL's Abbotsford Heat). At the end of the day, we're not contributing to that, we're a victim of that."
The Heat, of course, is the AHL affiliate of the Flames, who own the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen.
Brian Burke, one of the Bruins’ majority owners, added:
"The notion that somehow we changed our mind on Chilliwack, or somehow betrayed the fans there when in fact the American Hockey League moved a competing team in within a very close radius to our operating base . . . the notion that we had any control over that or that that's our fault is crazy. I've never taken a dime out of this team."
———
The afore-mentioned news release also contained this paragraph:
“It should be noted that the WHL Board of Governors govern all matters related to WHL franchises. This includes the right to approve franchise ownership and the relocation and sale of franchises in accordance with its bylaws, constitution and strategic plans.”
You wonder if this wasn’t, at least in part, a shot across the bow of the Regina Pats, who are owned by Diane and Russ Parker of Calgary. Russ was in Victoria for yesterday’s news conference. Their son, Darren, was recently named senior vice-president of sales and marketing with the Victoria Salmon Kings.
The Pats are again embroiled in lease negotiations with Evraz Place, the organization that controls the Brandt Centre, the building in which the WHL team plays.
I was told last weekend that Evraz Place had given the Pats a “take-it-or-leave-it” offer and that the Parkers were seriously considering leaving it.
Of course, the Pats and Evraz Place are no strangers to testy negotiations, and only time will tell how it plays out this time.
———
Marc Habscheid, the Bruins’ general manager and head coach, is two years into what is believed to be a five-year contract. I have been told but haven’t able to confirm that he has a clause in his contract that allows him to leave should the franchise be relocated.
When I contacted him via text on Tuesday and asked if he was able to talk, he responded: “Rather not rt now. Thx.”
———
There are stories to be told about what went on in the Bruins organization over the last year, but we may never hear them.
As one former employee wrote in an email to me on Wednesday:
“We are all holding on to the hopes that a team comes here so we don't want to burn any bridges, especially since this is our livelihood. We all invested so much time and energy to make this work and little did we know that we never had a chance.”
———
Paul J. Henderson of the Chilliwack Times reports that in December the owners of the Chilliwack Bruins asked city hall for $175,000 a year “to help with sagging revenues.”
That story is right here.
———
Cory Flett, the WHL’s director, communications, sometimes tweets a song of the day. An emailer has suggested some suggestions for him to send in the direction of Chilliwack fans.
“I would recommend ‘Not Ready to Go’ by the Trews or ‘I'll Keep Your Memory Vague’ by Finger Eleven.
“And, for the new owners and the people of Victoria, I would recommend ‘Bring Everything’ by Jason Plumb.”
The emailer also pointed out that “all songs are Cancon.”
———
SOME NOTES: Don’t forget that the City of Victoria promised to add 10 years to RG Properties’ management contract for SOFMC if it was able to land a WHL franchise. That agreement now runs until 2046. . . . By that time, the WHL may have a franchise in Nanaimo. . . . Former WHL F Josh Aspenlind scored 11 seconds into OT last night to give the host Victoria Salmon Kings a 3-2 victory over the Utah Grizzlies. The Salmon Kings lead the best-of-seven ECHL second-round series 3-0 with Game 4 scheduled for Victoria on Friday. Attendance in the 7,006-seat Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre was 3,691.

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

Fear of unknown not a problem for Salmon Kings

ADAM TAYLOR

There aren’t any bench-clearing brawls and none of the Hanson brothers or Reggie Dunlop is anywhere in sight.
But it’s hard not to think about the Charlestown Chiefs of the Federal League when you examine the plight of the ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings.
On Wednesday morning, the WHL held a news conference in Victoria’s 7,000-seat Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre to announce that the Chilliwack Bruins are leaving the Fraser Valley and moving to the B.C. capital.
It was kind of like watching folks tap-dancing on a grave as CHEK-TV showed the news conference live from Victoria. Two teams were being killed off in order for the WHL to stake its claim on the capital.
While everyone was smiling in Victoria, moving vans were inside Prospera Centre in Chilliwack, taking gear and supplies from dressing rooms and storage rooms, removing video screens from the scoreclock, taking equipment out of the media box. . . .
The SOFMC has been home to the Salmon Kings for five seasons now. No details were made public yesterday, but it’s assumed that relationship will end when the Salmon Kings play their final game this season.
The Bruins have been purchased by Vancouver-based RG Properties, a real estate development company that just happens to own the Salmon Kings. The $5.5-million deal closed Tuesday. RG Properties holds the management contract for the SOFMC and for Prospera Place in Kelowna.
Ironically, the Salmon Kings played last night, taking to the ice for a playoff game against the visiting Utah Grizzlies about seven hours after the WHL made official what had been known unofficially for a few weeks. The Salmon Kings, who are bound and determined not to go gently, beat Utah 3-2 in overtime — before 3,691 fans — and now lead the best-of-seven second-round series 3-0. Taylor set up Josh Aspenlind, another former WHLer, for the winner 11 seconds into extra time.
The Salmon Kings would appear to be an unlikely contender. They began the playoffs as the seventh seed in a conference in which seven teams made the playoffs.
“We’re doing pretty well. It’s been fun so far,” offers veteran centre Adam Taylor, 26, who has played for the Salmon Kings in each of the last five seasons. He also has had stints with the Pensacola Ice Pilots, China Sharks, Florida Everblades, Rochester Americans and Edinburgh Capitals, which is where he began this season before the team’s financial problems got in the way.
Yes, Taylor has put on some miles since graduating from the Kootenay Ice after the 2004-05 season.
Yes, Edinburgh is in Scotland and the Sharks played near Shanghai.
No, Taylor, who is from Courtenay, never played for Charlestown.
The Chiefs, of course, are the (mostly) fictional team from the movie Slap Shot. The Chiefs, under playing coach Reggie Dunlop (Paul Newman), start slowly, then start winning and drawing crowds, all the while with the team in danger of being sold or folding.
The Salmon Kings, then, may very well be a case of real life imitating Hollywood.
“We’ve heard stuff. We’ve heard about it,” Taylor says of the sad saga of the Bruins. “We had a meeting about it. Does it affect us? No, because this is our job. Am I sad to see the Salmon Kings leave? Yeah, I’ve played five years here. And it’s pretty neat to have your family and friends able to come see you.”
You have to understand, or try to, the mindset of the minor league hockey player in order to get at least a feel for how they are dealing with this. The NHL dream is over for virtually every one of the Salmon Kings — and the team has used 43 players this season.
“It’s out of our control,” Taylor says. “It’s our job right now. Our contracts are week to week. Our job right now is to win the Kelly Cup. That would be such an amazing story if we did.”
These guys really do play for the love of the game.
“I keep telling myself every year that I’m not going to play another year. But you know what?” Taylor says. “One month into summer and I’m already thinking what I want to do.”
Right now, though, Taylor and his teammates hope that their summer doesn’t arrive for a few weeks. They’ve got a Kelly Cup to chase.
The players, Taylor says, are single-minded in their goal. It was with that in mind that they put themselves in the story on Monday when they held a news conference right in the middle of their dressing room.
“It was just to say to the fans, ‘Come out and support us here. Tickets are really cheap and we’d really like you to come out and support us for the rest of the run here,’ ” Taylor says.
Like any hockey team at this time of year, the Salmon Kings are looking for any edge they can find. Having an arena full of supporters would qualify.
“Huge fan support in the playoffs can be that seventh man and give you energy,” he states, before continuing the message to the fans: “And this might be the last time you’re going to see some players play in Victoria so why not come out and support us?’ ”
Tickets for these home playoff games are priced as low as $5, and that‘s something you won’t see in too many other leagues.
“When I heard that, I was, ‘Wow . . . $5 tickets!’ ” Taylor says, before chuckling and adding: “When my friends call me for tickets, maybe they can go buy their own.”
“But,” he says, “it’s a great deal. What a great way to come out and see us play. It’s pretty sweet.”
This playoff run is extra special to Taylor, simply because he’s been with the Salmon Kings from the start.
“It was pretty neat to be part of the team right from the first year of the SOFMC,” he explains, “and it’s going to be pretty neat finishing here and hopefully finishing with the Kelly Cup, that’s for sure.
“It would be a great story.”
Yes, it would, like Slap Shot is a great movie.

 (Gregg Drinnan is sports editor of The Daily News. He is at gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca, gdrinnan.blogspot.com and twitter.com/gdrinnan.)

Moving day . . .

It is moving day at the Prospera Centre in Chilliwack.

While the WHL is in Victoria announcing the arrival of the Chilliwack Bruins, the moving fans are in Prospera Centre.
For the last five years, Prospera Centre has been the home of the Bruins, who have been sold to Vancouver-based RG Properties and are being relocated to Victoria.
The Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria has been the home of the ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings, also for five years.
Strangely enough, whoever is responsible for selecting today as the day for the announcement, picked a game day for the Salmon Kings. They play the visiting Utah Grizzlies tonight. Victoria holds a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series.
Meanwhile, back at Prospera Centre . . .
I am told that the pictured trucks were being loaded with equipment from dressing rooms and storage. Workers also lowered the score clock in order to remove the video screens. As well, all the equipment from the media booth was taken away.

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

Monday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Chris St. Jacques (Medicine Hat, 1999-2004) signed a one-year contract extension with the Nietigheim Steelers (Germany 2.Bundesliga). He started the season with the Edinburgh Capitals (UK Elite), getting 18 goals and 32 assists in 30 games, before finishing the season in Bietigheim. St. Jacques had seven goals and six assists in 13 games with the Steelers.
———
THE VICTORIA TO CHILLIWACK SAGA, Chapter 66:
The ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings will take a 2-0 lead into Game 3 of their second-round series with the Utah Grizzlies on Wednesday night.
That game will be held at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria.
Earlier that day, the WHL will hold a news conference in that same facility at which it is expected to announce that Vancouver-based RG Properties, which manages the SOFMC and owns the Salmon Kings, has purchased the Chilliwack Bruins and is moving the franchise to Victoria.
Yes, the first of the dominoes officially will have fallen.
———
Players with the Salmon Kings actually held a news conference in their dressing room on Monday.
Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist writes: “The Salmon Kings — the players as a collective and not the team officially — called a remarkable press conference Monday at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre exhorting Victorians to see ECHL playoff hockey off with a bang and full houses through the Kelly Cup playoffs this spring.”
Dheensaw’s story is right here.
And wouldn't it be a great story if the Salmon Kings were to win the ECHL championship in their last season in Victoria? Now that would be one for the ages!
———
Just as president and GM Jeff Chynoweth said would happen, the Kootenay Ice sent out its season-ticket renewal notices on Monday, and prices remain unchanged for a third straight season.
An adult season ticket will cost $399 if purchased on or before May 31. A seniors ticket is $299, a student ticket is $249 and a youth ticket is $199, all if purchased on or before May 31.
So . . . you can forget about the Ice relocating to Chilliwack.
———
JUST NOTES: Three more WHL players signed three-year NHL contracts on Monday — F Curtis Hamilton with the Edmonton Oilers, D Alex Petrovic with the Florida Panthers and F Jordan Weal with the Los Angeles Kings. . . . Hamilton, from the Saskatoon Blades, was a second-round selection of the Oilers in the 2010 NHL draft. He has joined the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons for the duration of this season. They are down 2-0 to the Hamilton Bulldogs in a first-round series. . . . Petrovic, from the Red Deer Rebels, was selected by Florida in the second round of the 2010 NHL draft. . . . Weal, taken in the third round of the 2010 draft, had 96 points in 72 games with the Regina Pats this season. . . . D Martin Marincin of the Prince George Cougars, a second-round pick by the Oilers in the 2010 NHL draft, also is with Oklahoma City. . . .
Kootenay Ice D Brayden McNabb is the WHL’s player of the week. He had a goal and five assists in two games. . . . Ice G Nathan Lieuwen is the WHL’s nominee as the CHL’s goaltender of the week. He was 2-0, 1.00, .965 last week. . . . The Portland Winterhawks are 51-0 when scoring at least four goals this season. That includes 8-0 in these playoffs. . . . Portland is 40-0 when leading after two periods, including 8-0 in these playoffs. . . . So if you want to beat the Winterhawks, all you have to is hold them to three goals and make sure you’re leading after two. . . .
———
Andrea Gordon of the Toronto Star has interviewed Peter Jaffe, a professor at the U of Western Ontario who has written to the NHL and its teams to protest against violence in hockey.
Check out her piece right here.
———
Bob Duff of the Windsor Star calls Seth Jones “Canada’s worst nightmare.” Jones was selected by the Everett Silvertips with the 11th pick of the 2010 bantam draft. He has yet to commit to school or the WHL. Duff’s piece is right here.
———
Vicki Hall of the Calgary Herald writes about “a landmark University of Calgary study published today in the Canadian Medicial Association Journal” that deals with NHL players and concussions.
That story is right here.
———
Derek Abma of Postmedia News writes:
“It's a no-brainer; eliminate bodychecking in all but the most elite levels of youth hockey, where players are at least 16 years old to reduce concussions and other serious injuries.
“That's the conclusion of a new academic review of existing research by Syd Johnson, a bioethicist from Dalhousie University in Halifax. Her report was published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.”
The complete story is right here.

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

WHL confirms sale. but that's all

By GREGG DRINNAN

Daily News Sports Editor

The WHL has confirmed that the Chilliwack Bruins have been sold.
In a terse two-paragraph news release issued Tuesday afternoon, the league announced that “it has granted conditional approval to a request from ownership of the Chilliwack Bruins for the sale of their WHL franchise.”
Furthermore, the release stated, “Until such time (as) all of the conditions related to the sale have been satisfied the WHL is not in a position to make any further statement on this transaction.”
The announcement arrived one day before Bruins fans had scheduled a rally for the front entrance to the team’s home arena, Prospera Place. That rally is to take place this evening at the front entrance to the arena.
It is believed that the Bruins’ majority owners — Darryl Porter, Brian Burke and Glen Sather each owns 25 per cent — have sold the franchise to RG Properties, a Vancouver-based real estate development and operating company that manages the Save-On Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria and Prospera Place in Kelowna.
The arena in Victoria is home to the ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings, a franchise that is owned by RG Properties. The City of Victoria has a contract with RG Properties to manage the arena. That deal is to expire in 2036 and the City has told RG Properties that the contract will be extended to 2046 if it is able to attract a WHL franchise.
At present, the Salmon Kings are involved in the ECHL playoffs, playing a best-of-five first-round series with the Bakersfield Condors. Once the Salmon King’s season is over, an announcement is expected on the transfer of the Bruins.
Early in March, as speculation on the sale of the franchise heated up, WHL commissioner Ron Robison told the Chilliwack Times: “It’s clearly our desire to keep them where they are. From time to time we have to review relocation but that’s been very rare. There hasn’t been a relocation in our league for many, many years.”
The last franchise to pick up and move was the Edmonton Ice, which relocated to Cranbrook after the 1997-98 season.
Moray Keith and Jim Bond own the remaining 25 per cent of the Chilliwack franchise; Keith also holds the management contract on Prospera Centre, the home to the Bruins for the past five seasons.
Keith and Bond attempted to purchase the Bruins from their partners, reportedly for $7.75 million, but the offer was rebuffed.
Keith later confirmed to Jim Mullin, the sports director at Vancouver radio station CKNW, that the Bruins had been sold.
Meanwhile, Burke, in a letter through his lawyers to Mullin earlier this week, claimed that the WHL had “promised” a franchise to Graham Lee, the chief executive officer and president of RG Properties.
Burke also wrote that it was “. . . the WHL’s and Mr. Lee’s desire to have an established team in Victoria rather than an expansion team. This will not leave Chilliwack without a WHL team. The WHL is in the process of negotiating the movement of another WHL team to Chilliwack.”
The league has since placed a gag order on all WHL and team officials, an order that carried with it the threat of a heavy fine should anyone discuss the situation with the media.
Victoria last was in the WHL in 1993-94, after which the Cougars packed up and moved to Prince George. The Cougars had been in Victoria since 1971-72.
At this point, it isn’t known which WHL franchise, if any, might relocate to Chilliwack.
Dallas Thompson, the general manager of the Cougars, told the Prince George Citizen earlier this week that that franchsie isn’t going anywhere.
“This team is not for sale, and we’ve made that abundantly clear about a hundred times,” Thompson told the Citizen. “We’re exploring a way to make our business work here and relocation is something we don’t want to have happen and it’s not an option.
“We want to make this thing work in Prince George and that’s what we’re trying to do. Chilliwack is not an option. We can’t comment about anything that’s going on there.”
The Cranbrook-based Kootenay Ice is another team that has been rumoured as perhaps being interested in moving.
However, Jeff Chynoweth, the Ice’s president and GM, told The Daily News last night, via text, that the club is “definitely not going to Chilliwack.”

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

Some Thursday notes . . .

The rumour has been out there for three weeks or more.
“There will be an announcement,” according to the rumour, “that the WHL is returning to Victoria. And the announcement will be made on Feb. 28.”
I thought the rumour died with February, but an NHL scout asked me about it on Wednesday night.
Seeing as it’s now March 4, and there hasn’t been an announcement, it’s safe to say the rumour is dead. At least for now.
Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times-Colonist was at an ECHL game in his city on Wednesday. Here’s a note from his story:
ECHL commissioner Brian McKenna, in town recently, addressed the increasing speculation Victoria may soon announce a jump to the junior Western Hockey League. “These (WHL) rumours have been there since Day 1 of Victoria joining the ECHL and are nothing new and we hear it on an annual basis,” said McKenna, who has astutely positioned the ECHL as the main development league in pro hockey below the AHL.
———
As anticipated, Regina Pats head coach Curtis Hunt has been fined by the WHL for comments he made following a 5-3 loss to the Warriors in Moose Jaw on Tuesday night.
If you missed it, here’s what Hunt told the Regina Leader-Post:
"It's really hard to compete against two teams. The Moose Jaw Warriors are a good hockey team and I thought our guys worked hard. We just couldn't overcome the striped team tonight."
For that, Hunt was fined $500.
———
Chase Martin has pads and will travel.
On Tuesday, Martin was the backup goaltender for the Tri-City Americans in a 6-5 loss to the visiting Portland Winterhawks. He was there in support of Chris Driedger, who has been starting while Drew Owsley recovers from a knee injury.
But now it seems that Martin, 18, is off to join the Medicine Hat Tigers, who lost backup Deven Dubyk to a shoulder injury during a 7-3 victory over the visiting Prince Albert Raiders on Saturday.
The Tigers had Dawson MacAuley, 16, backing up Tyler Bunz in a 4-2 victory over the Rebels in Red Deer on Tuesday, but he has gone back to the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos.
Martin played his minor hockey in Medicine Hat. He’s available for spot duty now because his Cowichan Valley Capitals didn’t qualify for the BCHL playoffs.
Darren Steinke in the Medicine Hat News reports that Martin will be with the Tigers for two games through the weekend.
As well, F Cole Grbavac, who is having a solid season, suffered a head injury on Tuesday and is listed as questionable for the weekend.
Of course, the Tigers also have lost F Tyler Pitlick for up to eight weeks with a broken ankle.
If Grbavac is diagnosed with a concussion, he would become the fifth Tigers’ skater to be sidelined with that injury. Steinke reports that D Matthew Konan and D Jace Coyle are day-to-day, while D Scott Ramsay is week-to-week and F Sam Dezman remains out indefinitely.
---
The Everett Silvertips might have F Landon Ferraro back in the lineup tonight when they meet the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash. He had hernia surgery in January and returned to practice earlier this week. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald says that F Josh Birkholz, who has been out with a head injury, also might return tonight.

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Zdenek Blatny (Seattle, Kootenay, 1998-2001) was released at his request for personal reasons by Hannover Indians (Germany 2.Bundesliga). He had two goals and four assists in five games for the Indians. . . .
F Quinn Hancock (Tacoma/Kelowna, Calgary, Prince George, 1994-98) signed a contract for the rest of the season with the Graz 99ers (Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had 13 goals and 21 assists in 53 games for Iserlohn Roosters (Germany DEL) last season. . . .
F Chris St. Jacques (Medicine Hat, 1999-2004) was released by the Edinburgh Capitals (UK Elite) so he could sign a contract for the rest of the season with Bietigheim-Bissingen (Germany 2.Bundesliga). He had 18 goals and 31 assists in 29 games for the Capitals this season. The Edinburgh newspaper The Scotsman reports that the "cash-strapped" Capitals have converted all player contracts to week-to-week and players are free to leave should they find another team to play for. . . .
D Michael Busto (Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Kootenay, 2001-07) signed a contract with Bolzano (Italy Serie A) for the rest of this season. He had one goal and three assists in 11 games with the Dayton Gems and Elmira Jackals (both ECHL) last season. . . .
F Riley Armstrong (Kootenay, Everett, 2002-04) signed a contract for the rest of the season with the Augsburger Panther (Germany DEL). Armstrong started the season with the Utah Grizzlies (ECHL), getting two assists in two games, before signing with Barys Astana (Kazakhstan KHL), where he had one goal in nine games.
———
Two former WHLers have been named to the lineup for the 2011 ECHL All-Star Classic that will be played in Bakersfield, Calif., on Jan. 26. . . . F Mitch Fadden (Seattle, Lethbridge, Tri-City, 2003-09) of the Florida Everblades and F Mark Derlago (Brandon, 2003-06) of the Idaho Steelheads will be in the starting lineup in a game that will feature the all-star team against the Bakersfield Condors. . . . Fadden leads the ECHL in assists (32) and points (47). . . . Derlago is tied for second in goals (15) and fifth in points (31). . . . The all-star team was selected through voting by ECHL coaches, team captains, media directors, broadcasters and media members.
———
Things are tightening up at the top of the Western Conference.
The Tri-City Americans dumped the visiting Portland Winterhawks 5-1 on Wednesday, completing a sweep of a two-game series. The Americans had put up a 5-1 victory in Portland on Tuesday.
The two results leave the Winterhawks in first place, at 25-11-3, with the Americans closing, at 21-11-2.
And let’s not forget the Spokane Chiefs, the WHL’s highest-scoring team, who put eight more on the board in beating the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds, 8-2.
The Chiefs had beaten the Thunderbirds 2-0 in Kent, Wash., on Tuesday night.
Spokane C Tyler Johnson scored three times last night, giving him 102 goals in his career with the Chiefs. That moved him into 13th on the franchise’s all-time list, ahead of Brandin Cote (1996-2002).
The Chiefs, having gone 9-1-1 in their last 11, are 21-10-5.
Portland leads the Western Conference, with 53 points, just six ahead of the Chiefs, who hold three games in hand. The Americans are third, with 44 points, but hold two games in hand on the Chiefs and five on the Winterhawks.
The Prince George Cougars, who beat the visiting Chilliwack Bruins 5-0 last night with G James Priestner stopping 22 shots, are the conference’s No. 2 seed as they are the top club in the B.C. Division. But the Cougars are just one point ahead of the Kelowna Rockets, who hold two games in hand.
It’s also worth noting that the Winterhawks no longer lead the WHL in points. That honour belongs to the Saskatoon Blades (27-8-1), who lead the Eastern Conference, with 55 points, after beting the host Prince Albert Raiders 4-3 last night.
F Linden Vey of the Medicine Hat Tigers had a goal and two assists in a 3-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice and moved into a tie for the scoring lead with F Brendan Ranford of the Kamloops Blazers. Each has 58 points, at least for now.
Because it seems that Ranford may have 59 points.
While the online scoresheet of Kamloops’ 6-1 victory over the visiting Vancouver Giants on Tuesday night shows Ranford with three assists, he may have been given another helper sometime after the game.
Early Wednesday, a tweet from the WHL office read: “Top point getter last night and STILL #WHL leading scorer @blazerhockey Ranford with 4 assists in 6-1 win over @WHLGiants.”
If Ranford, indeed, had four assists, he will hold a one-point lead over Vey going into tonight’s games. While the Tigers are off, the Blazers travel to Kelowna.

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

The WHL has extended the Christmas break for four of its players by hitting them with brief suspensions for infractions that occurred in Saturday games.
Defenceman Sena Acolatse of the Prince George Cougars and forward Kale Kessy of the Medicine Hat Tigers each will sit out two games. Acolatse incurred a match penalty for attempt to injury at the end of a 3-2 victory over the visiting Kamloops Blazers, while Kessy was hit with a double minor for checking from behind during a 5-3 victory over the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Defenceman Brandon Underwood of the Blazers will sit for one game after taking a kneeing major and game misconduct against the Cougars, while Lethbridge D Cason Machacek also got one game, his for a warmup violation against the Tigers.
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D Matt Delahey (Regina, Chilliwack, 2004-10) has left the ECHL’s Ontario Reign and will enrol at the U of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. Delahey, 21, was a fourth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in the NHL’s 2008 draft. . . . F Jonathan Parker of the Prince Albert Raiders is the CHL’s player of the week. He had nine points in three games last week. . . . The MJHL’s Neepawa Natives have extended GM/head coach Bryant Perrier’s contract through 2012-13. Perrier is in his second season with the Natives. . . . The NHL’s Calgary Flames have signed F Ryan Howse of the Chilliwack Bruins to a three-year contract. Howse, who is from Prince George, was a third-round pick in the NHL’s 2009 draft. In his fourth season with the Bruins, Howse has 39 points, including 23 goals, in 32 games.

ALESSIO BERTAGGIA

It seems there is a second WHL team with a roster that doesn’t include even one player who was acquired via the trade route.
A note from Dave Trimmer of the Spokane Spoksman-Review points out that the Spokane Chiefs are carrying 23 players, with 12 of them acquired in the bantam draft, two in the CHL import draft and nine by being listed.
When the season began, D Bruin McDonald was on the Chiefs’ roster and he had been acquired from the Prince George Cougars. However, he was released early in the season and now is with the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies.
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F C.J. Stretch (Kamloops, 2005-10) is with the ECHL’s Ontario Reign, waiting for the opportunity to get more playing time and working on his defensive play and playing without the puck. There’s more right here.

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Alessio Bertaggia is back in the news (thanks to @ukrainetzd for the tweet). . . . With the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation having released the names of the 28 players it is considering for its national junior team roster, I was interested only in forwards Sven Bartschi and Nino Niederreiter of the Portland Winterhawks. Yes, both of them are on that roster, as expected. . . . But I forgot all about Alessio Bertaggia, who was the subject of some attention in these parts about three months ago. . . . You may recall that it was Bertaggia who somehow, despite not having been selected in the CHL import draft, made his way to Portland and was on the ice during the Winterhawks’ training camp. . . . In the end, the WHL disciplined the Winterhawks, thus ending another colourful chapter in league history, The Saga of Red No. 23. . . . Anyway, Bertaggia is on that 28-player roster. . . .
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Some countries have released national junior team preliminary rosters that include WHL players. . . .
The Czech Republic roster includes Marek Hrbas (Edmonton Oil Kings) and David Musil (Vancouver Giants) among its 13 defencemen. The preliminary roster also features 21 forwards, including Antonin Honejsek (Moose Jaw Warriors), Roman Horak (Chilliwack Bruins) and Robin Soudek (Chilliwack). . . .
Slovakia will open a camp in Bratislava on Monday. The 23-player roster for this camp doesn’t include any WHL players. The Slovaks will trim that number to 15 and open another selection camp in Jamestown, N.Y., on Dec. 16. . . . The Slovaks will add eight CHL players to their roster for that camp, and then will play pre-tournament games against Norway (Dec. 21) and Russia (Dec. 23). . . .
Germany’s preliminary roster includes F Marcel Noebels (Seattle) and F Bernhard Keil (Kamloops). Germany will open a short camp in Fussen on Dec. 15 and then set up shop in Buffalo/Niagara Falls, on Dec. 18. . . .
Finland will open a camp in Vierumaki, Dec. 12-16, before moving to Toronto on Dec. 18. . . .
F Mark Mieritz of the Brandon Wheat Kings will play for Denmark at the IIHF Division 1, Group B U-20 championship in Slovenia, Dec. 12-18. Mieritz, who has six points in 27 games with the Wheat Kings, will play two games this weekend and then leave for home.
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The 2012 World Women’s curling championship will be played in Lethbridge, March 17-25. That will put the Hurricanes on the road as the WHL regular season winds down or early in the first round of the playoffs. You may recall that the World championship was decided in Swift Current last spring, with the Broncos playing first-round ‘home’ games in Regina. . . . The Vancouver Giants and Kamloops Blazers will meet in Whitehorse on Feb. 12. The Whitehorse Star reports that tickets for that game will go on sale Saturday. They’re priced at $30 a pop with a limit of two per customer. . . . Bogdan Rudenko, a former OHL player who bounced around the minor pro leagues for a few years, is facing a murder charge in North Carolina. That story is right here. . . . F Randy McNaught, 20, of the Vancouver Giants had surgery on an ankle Monday. He was injured Oct. 9 during a game in Kamloops. He isn’t expected back before February. He got into only eight games with the Giants, who acquired him from the Saskatoon Blades.
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CH-CH-CHING! Just about missed this one. Kelly Kisio, the general manager of the Calgary Hitmen, was dinged for $500 for “comments to officials following game at Edmonton on Nov. 24.” . . . Not sure what was said or two whom, but the Hitmen were on the short end of a 4-3 count with the Oil Kings.
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SOME TUESDAY GAME HIGHLIGHTS:
There were three games played, all in the homes of Western Conference teams, and Eastern Conference visitors won all three. . . .
In Vancouver, G Adam Morrison’s 23 saves sparked the Saskatoon Blades to a 2-1 victory over the Giants. . . . The Blades were opening a B.C. Division swing that continues tonight in Chilliwack. . . . F Chris Colins, at 18:53 of the first, and F Josh Nicholls, with his 12th on the PP at 6:17 of the second, gave the visitors a 2-0 lead. . . . Vancouver got closer when F Brendan Rowinski, while shorthanded, got his first goal with the Giants at 17:51 of the second. . . . Rowinski had been acquired from the Moose Jaw Warriors earlier in November. . . . The Giants have lost three in a row, meaning head coach Don Hay is stalled at 499 WHL coaching victories. . . . The Giants meet the visiting Calgary Hitmen on Friday night. . . . Attendance was 5,649. . . .
In Kent, Wash., the Medicine Hat Tigers ran their winning streak to eight games with a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Tigers, who meet the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash., tonight, took a 3-0 lead on F Emerson Etem’s 18th goal, shorthanded in the first, and third-period goals from F Hunter Shinkaruk and D Matthew Konan. . . . F Marcel Noebels of Seattle ruined Tyler Bunz’s shutout bid at 12:41 on a penalty shot. Bunz finished with 28 saves, 12 fewer than Calvin Pickard. . . . Medicine Hat F Linden Vey had one assist. He leads the WHL with 48 points, four more than F Brendan Ranford of the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Attendance was 2,726. . . . The Thunderbirds meet the Rockets in Kelowna tonight and then head for Prince George and Friday and Saturday dates with the Cougars. . . .
In Everett, F Kevin King and F Steele Boomer each set up two goals as the Kootenay Ice beat the Silvertips, 3-1. . . . Ice G Nathan Lieuwen made 26 saves. . . . Ice F Max Reinhart broke a 1-1 tie with his 10th goal just 28 seconds into the second period. . . . Ice F Jesse Ismond added insurance with his ninth at 1:15 of the third. . . . Everett F Landon Ferraro (concussion) was back in the lineup for the first time since Nov. 12. He had an assist. . . . Attendance was 3,663. . . .
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TUESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
One minor:
Everett D Rasmus Rissanen
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Jim Kelley lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on Tuesday.
Kelley, 61, is in the Hockey Hall of a Fame, mostly for his work with the Buffalo News. Of late, he wrote for sportsnet.ca and worked for Toronto all-sports radio station The Fan 590. There was a time when he often appeared on Hockey Night in Canada.
Kelley, who always had an opinion, filed a column to sportsnet.ca on Tuesday at 1:30 a.m. It would be his last one.
That column is right here.

Yes, P.G. is in first place

Last season, the Prince George Cougars went 12-56-4. That was the poorest record in all of the 60-team CHL.
So raise your right hand if you thought they had a chance to be leading the B.C. Division with November about to turn into December.
Actually, they are tied for the lead but, at 14-10-2, they have one more victory than do the Vancouver Giants (13-9-4) so, at least for now, the Cougars are the No. 2 seed in the West Conference.
And who would have thought that?
More on this in the nightly roundup but the Cougars won their third game in a row on Saturday night. Not only that, it was their third victory in four nights. And they won each of those games in a different city.
It is fair to say that no one is kicking sand in the Cougars’ faces these days.
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The fans have spoken. Take a trip over to hockeyfights.com and check out the fights involving goaltenders. There are a bunch of videos there and the favourite one of the bunch involves two WHL goaltenders of rather recent vintage. Check it out right here.
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Last season, F Mitch Fadden (Seattle, Lethbridge, Tri-City, 2003-09) appeared on the verge of earning a spot in the NHL. This season, he is leading the ECHL in scoring. What happened? Woody Wommack of the Naples News has that story right here.


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Some Saturday highlights from WHL games:
In Saskatoon, F Curtis Hamilton had two goals and an assist to lead the Blades to a 6-2 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Hamilton has 15 goals on the season and is sure to be among those players receiving invitations Monday to the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp. . . . The Raiders had beaten the visiting Blades 3-1 on Friday. . . . F Josh Nicholls added a goal and two assists for the Blades. . . . F Lukas Sutter, who scored his first WHL goal on Friday, added another in this one. . . . Attendance was 4,474. . . .
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In Brandon, D Collin Bowman scored at 18:48 of the third period to break a 3-3 tie and give the Moose Jaw Warriors a 4-3 victory over the Wheat Kings. . . . The Warriors had beaten Brandon 5-4 in Moose Jaw on Friday, with the winning goal coming from F Mackenzie Royer with 9.2 seconds left in the third. . . . This also was Moose Jaw’s third victory over Brandon in eight days. . . . On Nov. 20, the Warriors won 4-2 in Brandon when F Quinton Howden broke a 2-2 tie at, yes, 18:48, of the third period. . . . Brandon now has lost seven in a row. Earlier this season, it went through a nine-game losing skein. . . . F Shayne Wiebe had all three of Brandon’s goals, giving him 15 on the season. His third goal, at 10:17 of the third, tied it at 3. . . . F Quinton Howden had two goals for Moose Jaw, giving him 15. . . . Moose Jaw G Thomas Heemskerk stopped 46 shots. . . . Attendance was 3,841. . . .
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In Lethbridge, F Brad Hoban drew three assists to help the Swift Current Broncos to a 4-3 victory over the Hurricanes. . . . The Broncos have won three in a row. . . . Swift Current D Reece Scarlett opened the scoring with his second goal of the season at 6:24 of the first period and the teams alternated goals after that. . . . Swift Current F Adam Lowry broke a 3-3 tie on the PP at 14:00 of the third. . . . F Cody Eakin had two assists for the Broncos. . . . The Hurricanes got a goal and an assist from each of F Russell Maxwell and Mark Reners. . . . Lethbridge F Neil Tarnasky got his first career goal in his 18th game of this season. He was goalless in 57 games last season. . . . Attendance was 3,075. . . .
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In Calgary, F Michael St. Croix continued his hot November with two goals and assist to led the Oil Kings to a 3-1 victory over the Hitmen. . . . The Oil Kings have won three in a row. . . . Edmonton G Jon Groenheyde stopped 17 shots. He is 5-3-0, 2.93, .897 since coming over from the Kamloops Blazers in a trade. . . . St. Croix, who has 16 points in 11 games this month, now has 29 points in 26 games on the season. . . . He broke a 1-1 tie with his 14th goal at 3:24 of the third period. . . . Attendance was 9,760. . . .
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In Kamloops, D Martin Marincin scored a goal and earned three assists as his Prince George Cougars beat the Blazers, 7-5. . . . Marincin, a second-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2010 NHL draft, has nine goals and 21 assists in his first 26 WHL games. . . . F Charles Inglis scored twice for the Cougars, who won three games this week. They beat the Bruins 4-0 in Chilliwack on Wednesday and the visiting Regina Pats 5-3 on Friday. . . . F Brendan Ranford had two goals -- he leads the WHL with 24 -- and an assist for Kamloops. . . . F Brett Connolly scored his 20th goal of the season for Prince George. He left the game seven minutes into the third period with an apparent injury to his right arm. After a trip to the dressing room, he came back and finished up. The team reports that he was hit by a puck. . . . The Cougars lost F Brock Hirsche in the first period when he was hit in the right eye by a puck. He had a patch over the eye after the game, but the team said he will be fine. . . . F Nick Buonassisi had a goal and two assists for the Cougars. . . . C Chase Schaber drew three assists for the Blazers in his return from a three-game WHL-issued suspension. . . . Kamloops F Jordan DePape chipped in a goal and two helpers. . . . Each team scored three PP goals, while the Cougars also got a shorthanded marker. . . . The Blazers have surrendered a shorthanded goal in each of their last three games. . . . Cougars G James Priestner, who began his WHL career in Kamloops, stopped 36 shots. . . . Attendance was 4,099. . . .
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In Everett, the Medicine Hat Tigers scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Silvertips, 5-3. . . . F Linden Vey, who leads the WHL with 46 points, had a goal, his 17th, and two assists. . . . F Emerson Etem scored twice for the Tigers, getting them into a 3-3 tie at 12:50 of the second period and providing insurance at 18:48 of the third. He has 17 goals. . . . F Dylan Bredo, with his second of the season, got the winner, unassisted, at 12:59. It was his third goal in 76 career games. . . . F Jari Erricson, a 16-year-old freshman from Prince George, scored three times for the Silvertips. They were his first WHL goals and came in his 17th game. . . . The Tigers, who play in Portland on today, have won six in a row. . . . Attendance was 5,225. . . .
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In Red Deer, F Daulton Siwak’s shootout goal gave the Rebels a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . D Colin Archer’s third goal of the season, at 1:46 of the third period, gave the Rebels a 2-0 lead. . . . Vancouver tied it on goals by D Neil Manning, his seventh, just 16 seconds later, and F Jordan Martinook, at 4:34. . . . Red Deer also got a shootout goal from F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, while F Craig Cunningham scored for Vancouver. The shootout went 10 deep. . . . Red Deer G Darcy Kuemper stopped 38 shots. . . . Vancouver went 0-1-1 on its two-game trek into Alberta. The Giants head home for a Tuesday night date with Saskatoon as the Blades begin their B.C. Division tour. . . . Attendance in Red Deer was 5,254. . . .
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In Kent, Wash., the visiting Kootenay Ice scored six straight goals and beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 6-2. . . . F Steele Boomer erased a 1-0 Seattle lead with his fifth and sixth goals. They both came on the PP at 13:07 and 17:33 of the first. . . . The Ice had been blanked in each of its previous two games. Boomer‘s first goal ended a scoreless stretch of 138:19. . . . F Kevin King had a goal and two assists for the Ice, which got two assists from each of F Matt Fraser and F Joe Antilla. . . . Seattle G Calvin Pickard was lifted at 5:03 of the second period after being beaten five times on 23 shots. . . . Uhh, it just happened to be Calvin Pickard Bobblehead Night. . . . Attendance was 4,074. . . . The Ice has added F Sam Reinhart, its first-round pick in the 2010 bantam draft, to its roster for three games. He has 32 points in 16 games with the major midget Vancouver-North West Giants. . . .
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In Spokane, F Geordie Wudrick’s PP goal just 42 seconds into OT gave the Kelowna Rockets a 3-2 victory over the Chiefs. . . . Wudrick scored twice, giving him 12 on the season. He has five goals in last two games. . . . The Rockets took a 2-0 lead into the third period but the Chiefs tied it on goals by F Tyler Johnson, his 16th, on the PP at 8:58, and F Matt Marantz, shorthanded, at 13:05. Marantz’s goal, which went in off a Kelowna defender, originally was given to F Steven Kuhn, but was changed after the game. . . . D Tyson Barrie and F Shane McColgan each had two assists for Kelowna. . . . Mac Engel was in goal for the Chiefs after James Reid suffered a leg injury in Kamloops on Friday. The Chiefs lost 4-3 to the Blazers in a shootout in that one. . . . With Reid listed as day-to-day, the Chiefs had Branden Amatto, a 19-year-old local player, backing up Engel. . . . Kelowna has won four in a row and 10 of 11 in November. . . . Attendance was 5,918. . . .
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In Kennewick, Wash., F Brendan Shinnimin was the only one of five skaters to score in the shootout as the Tri-City Americans beat the visiting Portland Winterhawks, 3-2. . . . The Americans, who have won three in a row, led 2-0 going into the third period but gave it up as F Brendan Leipsic scored his eighth and ninth goals of the season for Portland. . . . Portland G Keith Hamilton stopped 40 shots, five more than Tri-City’s Drew Owsley. . . . F Jordan Messier got his 16th goal for the Americans. . . . The Winterhawks have lost two in a row for the first time this season. They are at home to Medicine Hat today. . . . Attendance was 4,871.
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SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Five minors:
Edmonton F Travis Ewanyk
Calgary F Jimmy Bubnick
Spokane F Darren Kramer
Kamloops F Dylan Willick
Everett D Ryan Murray

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Riley Armstrong (Kootenay, Everett, 2002-04) signed a contract with Barys Astana (Kazakhstan, KHL). According to Kazakh news reports, Armstrong is in Prague waiting for his visa. He had two assists in two games with Utah Grizzles (ECHL) this season. . . .
F Zdenek Blatny (Seattle, Kootenay, 1998-2001) signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Hannover Indians (Germany, 2.Bundesliga) after a successful tryout. Blatny had two goals and four assists in his four-game trial with the Indians.
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The Philadelphia Flyers have signed D Brandon Manning of the Chilliwack Bruins to a three-year NHL contract. Manning, 20, was never selected in the NHL draft. According to CapGeek.com, the contract calls for AHL salaries of US$60,000, $60,000 and $65,000, with NHL salaries of $690,000, $715,000 and $740,000. . . . Manning received a $270,000 signing bonus payable in three $90,000 instalments. . . . He leads all WHL defencemen with 26 points, including 10 goals, in 20 games with the Bruins this season. A native of Prince George, he is in his third season with the Bruins. . . . Manning, the Bruins’ captain, attended training camp with the NHL’s New York Rangers.
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The New York Islanders recalled D Travis Hamonic, 20, from the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Tuesday. Hamonic (Moose Jaw, Brandon, 2006-10) has seven points in 19 games as an AHL freshman. He was a second-round pick by the Isles in the 2008 NHL draft. . . . It is anticipated that he will make his NHL debut tonight against the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets.
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Marc Fakler has been named GM and head coach of the Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings, who will return to the NAHL next season. These days, he is the associate director of hockey operations/director of player advancement and bantam major head coach for the West Michigan Hounds AAA club. He has four years experience as an assistant coach at Western Michigan and two at Robert Morris.
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F Garth Murray (Regina, 1998-2002) has signed with the ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings. Murray, 28, played last season with the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat; in fact, he was the team captain. He had 31 points and 169 penalty minutes in 80 games. His pro career includes 355 AHL games and 116 in the NHL, with the New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, Florida Panthers and Phoenix Coyotes. He was a third-round selection by the Rangers in the 2001 NHL draft.
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D Dylan McIlrath is back skating with the Moose Jaw Warriors. McIlrath, who was in New York last week for an MRI on an injured knee, took part in an optional skate Monday and returned to practice on Tuesday. He has a strained MCL and is listed as day-to-day. . . . The New York Rangers selected him 10th overall in the NHL’s 2010 draft. . . . The Warriors, who face the Raiders in Prince Albert tonight, will have F A.J. Johnson (mononucleosis) back tonight after missing eight games. . . . D Shayne Gwimmer, 16, will make his WHL debut with the Warriors. Gwinner, a second-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft, was brought in from the midget AAA UFA Bisons, who are based in Strathmore, Alta. . . . The Chilliwack Bruins will be without D Jesse Pauls for up to four months. He had surgery after suffering a broken leg in Friday’s 4-3 victory over the visiting Tri-City Americans. Pauls, who is from Chilliwack, had 14 points in 21 games. . . .
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SOME TUESDAY HIGHLIGHTS:
In Kamloops, F Dalibor Bortnak scored 54 seconds into OT to give the Blazers a 4-3 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . F JT Barnett, who had gone 10 goals without a goal, had a goal and two assists for Kamloops. . . . F Matt Needham, the eighth pick in the 2010 bantam draft, scored his first WHL goal for Kamloops. It was his second WHL game. . . . The Pats are 1-0-2 on their B.C. Division swing. . . .
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In Red Deer, F Daulton Siwak had a goal and three assists as the Rebels beat the Kootenay Ice, 5-0. . . . G Darcy Kuemper stopped 28 shots in posting his WHL-leading fourth shutout of the season. He has 10 career blank jobs. . . . Siwak, a second-round pick in the 2008 bantam draft, went into the game with five points in 24 games. Last season, he totaled five points in 61 games. . . .
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In Medicine Hat, F Linden Vey had two goals and three assists to lead the Tigers to a 7-1 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Vey, with 17 points in his last five games, moved into top spot in the WHL scoring race. He now has 43 points, including 16 goals, and holds a two-point lead over F Craig Cunningham of the Vancouver Giants. . . . F Tyler Pitlick added two goals for Medicine Hat, giving him 10. . . . Medicine Hat F Emersom Etem scored his 15th goal and added two assists. . . .
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In Calgary, F Jimmy Bubnick had two goals and an assist to help the Hitmen to a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The teams meet again tonight in Edmonton. . . . Bubnick, in his fourth WHL season, has 151 career points. . . . The Hitmen had lost nine straight games at home. . . . Calgary has won two of three after losing 12 in a row. . . . Attendance was announced as 7,165. However, Dan Toth reported in the Calgary Herald that “only a couple of thousand fans braved the frigid weather.” . . .
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In Saskatoon, F Curtis Hamilton and D Duncan Siemens had a goal and two assists apiece to lead the Blades to a 6-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . D Stefan Elliott scored his eighth goal of the season and it was his sixth game-winner. . . . Elliott also was plus-5, while Swift Current F Cody Eakin and D Reece Scarlett each was minus-5. . . . Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls had two assists. . . . Hamilton, who switched from No. 9 to No. 13 prior to this season, scored his 13th goal. He had worn No. 9 through three seasons, but injuries limited him to 26 games last season. He now has 32 points in 23 games. . . . With F Marek Viedensky (concussion) sidelined, Saskatoon GM/head coach Lorne Molleken moved Jake Trask up between Hamilton and Nicholls. Trask, who was acquired from the Kamloops Blazers, responded with a goal and an assist. . . . Swift Current is without D Tanner Muth (collarbone), F Stepan Novotny (knee), F Brenden Sylvester (back), F Taylor Vause (hamstring) and F Dillon Wagner (knee).
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TUESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
One minor:
Medicine Hat F Ryan Harrison.

 

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca

     

gdrinnan.blogspot.com

     

Taking Note on Twitter

Ch-ch-ching time after Calgary at Spokane game

The Seattle Thunderbirds have dealt D Ryan Aasman, 18, to the Swift Current Broncos for a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. The Prince Albert Raiders selected Aasman, who is from Medicine Hat, with the eighth pick of the 2007 bantam draft. They dealt him to Seattle last season for F Jonathan Parker. . . . Aasman was pointless in eight games with Seattle this season. In 167 career games, he has 14 points, including two goals, and 68 penalty minutes. . . . The Thunderbirds were carrying nine defencemen at the time of the deal.
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F Colton Orr of the Toronto Maple Leafs and F Derek Boogaard of the New York Rangers both played in the WHL and now, of course, are enforcers in the NHL. However, they have never fought each other. James Mirtle of The Globe and Mail looks at both men as the teams prepare to play tonight.
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Canada’s national junior team will play warmup games in three Ontario cities prior to the 2011 World Junior Championship in Buffalo. Canada will play Switzerland in Oshawa on Dec. 20, Sweden in Toronto on Dec. 21 and Finland in Kitchener on Dec. 23. . . . The 2011 Alberta Cup is to be played in Lethbridge, at the Nicholas Sheran Arena, April 13-17. According to a press release: “The Alberta Cup is the premier hockey event in the province that helps identify the top male bantam-aged players from each zone in Alberta.” . . . Leigh Mendelson, who was an assistant coach with the Spokane Chiefs (2008-09), has signed on as an assistant coach with the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies. Last season, he served as an assistant coach -- an 16 games as interim head coach -- with the AHL’s Norfolk Admirals. . . . Congratulations to Bill Whitehead of Roland, Man., who will be one of the 2011 inductees into the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame. A longtime player with the junior and senior Carman Goldeyes, Whitehead now is the reeve for the RM of Roland. He also is vice-president of Hockey Manitoba. Whitehead played for the MJHL’s Selkirk Steeler when they won the Centennial Cup, then the trophy for the national junior A championship, in 1974. . . . The ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings have signed F Gabe Gauthier, who has spent the last four seasons with the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs. Gauthier, 26, was selected by the Saskatoon Blades with the 12th overall pick of the 2000 bantam draft but took the NCAA route (Denver) and won two championships. It looked as though he would spend this season playing with Bolzano, Italy, before he signed with Victoria.
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WEDNESDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (four road teams wins and a line brawl -- ch-ch-ching):
MEDICINE HAT 3 at MOOSE JAW 2 (SO): F Linden Vey scored the only goal of the six-shooter shootout. . . . The Tigers (5-3-0) got the game’s first goal, when F Emerson Etem got his fourth at 10:52 of the first period, and the teams alternated goals after that. . . . F Nathan MacMaster got his fourth for the Warriors (4-7-1), on the PP, at 17:21. . . . D Thomas Carr put the Tigers ahead, on the PP, at 15:42 of the second period. . . . Moose Jaw F Quinton Howden, on the PP, forced OT with his sixth goal of the season at 19:50 of the third period. . . . The Warriors had won their last two games. . . . The Tigers now have won three straight. . . . Medicine Hat was 1-for-3 on the PP; the Warriors were 2-for-5. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 31 shots, while Moose Jaw’s Thomas Heemskerk stopped 23. . . Attendance was 2,527. . . . Checking-from-behind count: Zero.
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LETHBRIDGE 4 at REGINA 3 (SO): F Graham Hood scored the only goal of the five-shooter shootout as the Hurricanes (4-4-2) snapped a three-game losing streak. . . . Lethbridge acquired Hood from Regina in a deal last season. . . . The Pats (2-7-2) got the game’s first goal, with F Andrew Rieder getting his second at 12:00 of the first period, and the team’s alternated goals after that. . . . Lethbridge F Mitch Maxwell, with his third, tied it 3-3 at 7:56 of the third period. . . . Regina G Damien Ketlo made 40 saves, while Lethbridge’s Brandon Anderson turned aside 30 shots. . . . Lethbridge was 1-for-3 on the PP; Regina was 1-for 6. . . . Attendance was 3,102. . . . The Hurricanes were without F Austin Fyten (foot, 4-6 weeks) and F Brody Sutter (shoulder, 2-3 weeks). . . . Checking-from-behind count: One minor, to Lethbridge D Derek Ryckman.
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KAMLOOPS 1 at RED DEER 0: The Blazers won it on F Brendan Ranford’s 11th goal of the season and a 39-save effort from G Jeff Bosch. . . . Ranford, who has 14 points on an eight-game point streak, scored on the PP at 14:38 of the third period. . . . Bosch earned his first shutout of the season and ninth of his career. . . . Kamloops (5-6-1) opened a three-game swing into the Central Division. It had given up 21 goals in losing its last three games, all at home. . . . Kamloops, with the WHL’s worst penalty-killing record, gave up the game’s first six power plays but didn’t surrender a goal. . . . Red Deer G Bolton Pouliot turned aside 22 shots. Pouliot, 16, was making his second WHL start but it was his first decision. . . . Red Deer finished 0-for-9 on the PP; Kamloops was 1-for-5. . . . It was the fifth time in franchise history that Kamloops won by a 1-0 score, the first since March 8, 2008, when G James Priestner stopped 35 shots in a victory over the host Prince George Cougars. Priestner, of course, now plays for the Cougars. . . . Red Deer (7-4-0) had won five of its last six games. . . . This was the first time since opening night that the Blazers had allowed fewer than three goals in a game. . . . Former WHL star Mike Moller, providing analysis alongside veteran play-by-play man Cam Moon on 106.5 The Drive, sounds like he really enjoys himself. Moon is a big, big, big baseball fan so I’m thinking he had mlb.com up on his laptop. . . . Attendance was 3,914. . . . Checking-from-behind count: One minor, to Kamloops D Linden Saip.
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BRANDON 3 at PRINCE GEORGE 5: F Nick Buonassisi continued his fine start with three assists to lead the Cougars (6-4-1) to what was victory No. 400 for head coach Dean Clark. He has coached in Calgary, Brandon, Kamloops and Prince George. . . . Buonassisi, 18, has 13 points in 10 games after putting up 31 in 60 games last season. . . . F Brett Connolly scored twice for the Cougars, who have won three in a row. He has 11 on the season. . . . Connolly got the game’s first goal, at 4:24 of the first period, but Brandon (4-7-0) came out with a 2-1 lead on goals from F Brenden Walker, his fifth, and F Paul Ciarelli, his third. . . . The Cougars struck for three second period goals, including F Greg Fraser’s first. . . . Prince George D Sena Acolatse, the CHL’s reigning player of the week, had two assists, as did F Taylor Stefishen. . . . The Wheat Kings have lost seven in a row after opening the season with four straight victories. . . . Cougars G James Priestner, the game’s first star, stopped 31 shots. . . . Brandon G Liam Liston stopped 33 shots. . . . Brandon was 0-for-4 on the PP; the Cougars were 0-for-5. . . . Attendance was 1,797. . . . Checking-from-behind count: Zero.
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EVERETT 0 at PORTLAND 2: G Mac Carruth stopped 22 shots for the shutout. . . . It was his first shutout this season and the second of his career. He also blanked Everett last season. . . . The Winterhawks (9-2-1) were 2-for-7 on the PP, getting second-period goals from F Teal Burns, his first WHL goal, at 7:30 and F Sven Bartschi, his ninth, at 16:29. . . . Portland enjoyed six second-period power plays. . . . Everett (5-3-2) was 0-for-3 on the PP. . . . Bartschi has 13 points on a six-game point streak. Linemate Ty Rattie had one assist and now has 14 points on a six-game point streak. . . . Rattie is third in the scoring derby, with 22 points, three more than Bartschi. . . . Everett G Kent Simpson stopped 36 shots. . . . Portland had a 14-5 edge in second-period shots and 10-4 in the third. . . . Attendance was 1,666. . . . Checking-from-behind count: One minor, to Everett D Ryan Murray. . . . Associate coach Jay Varady ran the Everett bench for the first time in the absence of head coach Craig Hartsburg, who underwent a surgical procedure on Wednesday.
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VANCOUVER 7 at KELOWNA 5: The Giants gave up five straight goals and then scored five in a row to win it. . . . Vancouver (6-5-2), which had lost three straight, opened a 2-0 lead before the game was three minutes old. . . . The Rockets (3-7-0), who are 1-5 at home, scored five times in a span of 4:43 early in the second period to seemingly take control. . . . But the Giants got the game’s last five goals, including three from F Brendan Gallagher, who now has 13. He also had an assist. . . . Vancouver C Craig Cunningham, the WHL’s leading scorer, had five assists. He has 27 points in 13 games. . . . Gallagher is second, with 23 points. . . . Vancouver D Neil Manning had a goal and two assists. . . . F Spencer Main scored twice for Kelowna, while F Shane McColgan and F Mitchell Callahan each had a goal and two helpers. . . . D Tyson Barrie (hamstring) was in Kelowna’s lineup for the first time since Oct. 8. . . . Both teams used two goaltenders. . . . Vancouver’s Mark Segal stopped 16 of 21 shots before Brendan Jensen came on to stop all 21 shots he faced. . . . Kelowna’s Jordan Cooke stopped 18 of 24 shots, with Adam Brown coming in late and stopping five shots. . . . Vancouver was 3-for-4 on the PP; Kelowna was 0-for-3. . . . Attendance was 6,077. . . . Checking-from-behind count: One minor, to Vancouver D Tyler Hart.
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CALGARY 1 at SPOKANE 8: F Blake Gal scored three goals in a game that included 110 penalty minutes, 56 of them to the Hitmen. Yes, there was a line brawl. Ch-ch-ching! . . . Spokane F Darren Kramer, who scored his second goal of the season, was involved in three fights, including one in a line brawl late in the third period. Gotta think there will be some adjustments to the online scoresheet because it doesn’t show Kramer with a game misconduct. . . . Fines and suspension to follow. . . . Gal, who has eight goals, completed his first career hat trick at 3:59 of the second period. . . . The Chiefs improved to 4-5-0. . . . F Kenton Miller had two goals and an assist for the Chiefs, with F Tyler Johnson drawing three assists. D Brendon Kichton and Jared Cowen each had two assists. . . . Spokane D Tanner Mort only had one assist but was plus-4. . . . Calgary (4-6-0) went 2-3 on its swing into the U.S. Division. . . . F Misha Fisenko scored Calgary’s goal, his second, on a first-period PP. . . . Calgary was 1-for-3 on the PP; Spokane was 2-for-8. . . . Attendance was 3,657. . . . Checking-from-behind count: Zero.
 
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