Hay returning to Kamloops as Blazers' head coach

Don Hay is returning as head coach of the Kamloops Blazers.
(Photo by Christopher Mast / www.mastimages.com)

Don Hay is going home.
And who knows . . . the Kamloops Fire Department may still be holding his job for him.
Hay, 60, began his coaching career with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers in 1986, while he was a Kamloops firefighter. Ultimately, he took a leave of absence to pursue his coaching career; he never did go back to firefighting.
Today, though, he will be back in Kamloops as the new -- new old? -- head coach of the Blazers.
Hay, the second-winningest coach in WHL history, is leaving the Vancouver Giants after 10 seasons as their head coach to return to the Blazers.
Hay took over from Tom Renney as the Blazers head coach after the 1991-92 season and guided the team for three seasons, going 42-28-2, 50-16-6 and 52-14-6, and winning the 1994 and 1995 Memorial Cup championships.
He left after the second Memorial Cup title, choosing to join the NHL’s Calgary Flames as an assistant coach. He spent one season as head coach of the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes and one with the Anaheim Might Ducks as an assistant.
Hay was back in the WHL in 1998-99, spending two seasons as head coach of the Tri-City Americans.
He then spent most of 2000-01 as head coach of the Calgary Flames, followed by three seasons as head coach of the AHL’s Utah Grizzlies.
He joined the Giants for the 2004-05 season, as the third head coach in franchise history, following Milan Dragicevic and Dean Evason. Under Hay, the Giants won the WHL title in 2006 and the Memorial Cup in 2007 as the host team after they lost the WHL final to the Medicine Hat Tigers.
However, in the last four seasons, the Giants missed the playoffs once (2012-13) and were first-round casualties each of the other times. This season, they were swept by the Portland Winterhawks, who are to open the WHL’s championship final against the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings on Saturday night.
Still, the Giants won at least 40 games six times with Hay, whose 609 WHL career coaching victories trail only Ken Hodge’s 742.
Hay had one year left on his contract with the Giants that was signed on Aug. 26, 2010. The Giants, though, chose not to hold him to it or request compensation from Kamloops. Tom Gaglardi, the Blazers’ majority owner, approached Vancouver majority owner Ron Toigo about a week ago and asked for permission to speak with Hay.
“I’ve always made a point that I’m not going to stand in the way of what anybody wants to do regardless of what their contract says,” Toigo told Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun. “Don said he was comfortable with going home and they offered him a pretty good deal. I told him: ‘Great, I’m happy for you, I appreciate everything you did for us.’
“Ten years is a long time with one team and maybe it was time for a change for everybody. I think it’s a good scenario, although it kind of came out of left field. We certainly weren’t planning this a month ago.”
When the Giants start the search for a replacement, they will be looking for someone to take them at least through the 2015-16 season. The WHL will play host to the 2016 Memorial Cup tournament and Toigo has said the Giants plan on bidding for it.
Hay is the third-winningest head coach in Blazers history, his 144 victories in Kamloops behind only Ken Hitchcock (291) and Guy Charron (148).
Charron finished up this season, when the Blazers finished 14-53-5, good only for the poorest season in franchise history. Charron replaced Dave Hunchak on Jan. 12.
Hunchak, in his first season as head coach after working as associate coach alongside Charron for two seasons, left the team on Jan. 10 while it was in Spokane. The Blazers later said Hunchak was on a leave of absence.
The team has yet to clarify Hunchak’s situation, although it’s believed the two parties reached a contract settlement of some kind last month. Hunchak had been signed through the 2014-15 season.
Hay becomes the seventh or eighth head coach -- depending on whether you count Charron twice -- of the Blazers since the franchise was purchased in 2007 by Gaglardi and ex-Kamloops players Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla, Mark Recchi and Darryl Sydor.
In returning to the Blazers, Hay will be rekindling a relationship with Craig Bonner, who is the team’s general manager. Bonner was the Giants’ assistant coach/assistant GM when he signed as the Blazers’ GM in the summer of 2008. Bonner also played one season (1992-93) under Hay with the Blazers.
So what happened to the relationship between Hay and the Giants?
Here’s Steve Ewen, who covers the Giants for the Vancouver Province:
“The Giants . . . obviously felt he wasn’t the right guy for that 2016 Memorial Cup push. There was an apparent disconnect between player development, led by Hay, and player recruitment, led by general manager Scott Bonner.
“Hay wanted to continue to play a crash-and-bang style, but the Giants were bringing in smaller, puck-possession skill guys.”
Ewen also pointed out that in recent seasons the Giants “have had several players ask to be traded.”
That included, Ewen wrote, “2011 sixth-rounder Taylor Vickerman, 2010 first-rounder Anthony Ast, 2009 second-rounder Matt Bellerive and 2009 third-rounder Blake Orban. There were others, including veteran Craig Cunningham in 2010-11. Those were all tied to Hay.”
Interestingly, Bellerive, who was traded by the Giants to the Red Deer Rebels prior to the 2012-13 season, was dealt by Kamloops to Vancouver on Thursday. The Blazers had acquired him from Red Deer on Jan. 9.
According to Ewen, Bellerive had asked the Giants to trade him after Hay “made him a scratch on opening night” of the 2012-13 season.
In return for Bellerive, the Blazers got a 2014 sixth-round bantam draft pick and a fourth-rounder in 2015. The Blazers selected F Kyle Bosch of Kindersley, Sask., with the sixth-round pick on Thursday.
In 29 games with the Blazers, Bellerive, from North Vancouver, had 19 points, nine of them goals. He is heading into his 20-year-old season.
In another deal, the Blazers reacquired D Brady Gaudet, 20, from Red Deer, giving up a third-round pick in yesterday’s draft. Gaudet began his career with the Blazers, who selected him 10th overall in the 2009 bantam draft, before being traded to Red Deer in October 2012 for a third-round pick in the 2013 draft.
In 241 career games, Gaudet, who is from Redvers, Sask., has 85 points, including 17 goals. He played 117 of those games with Kamloops, putting up 34 points, seven of them goals.
Gaudet played well for Red Deer in 2012-13, but struggled this season.
“He had a tough year,” Red Deer GM/head coach Brent Sutter told Greg Meacham of the Red Deer Advocate, “but I talked to Kamloops after the season and they were interested in bringing him back.
“Kamloops had a tough year and asked that if I acquired another 20-year-old would I give them the first opportunity for (Gaudet) to go back there.”
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Elliott Pap’s piece is right here.
Steve Ewen’s story is right here.

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Victoria fined 10 grand; WHL interested in Lower Mainland . . . again!

D James Bettauer (Prince Albert, Medicine Hat, 2010-12) has signed a one-year deal with the Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL). This season, with the Hamburg Freezers (Germany, DEL), Bettauer had seven points, including three goals, in 50 games. . . .
F Vaclav Varada (Tacoma/Kelowna, 1994-96) has announced his retirement. This season with Trinec (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had nine points, four of them goals, in 36 games. Varada was a player-assistant coach this season; next season he will be strictly an assistant coach for Trinec.
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The Victoria Royals and two of their players have paid the price for some silliness that occurred during Game 5 of their second-round playoff series with the Portland Winterhawks on Friday night.
The Royals were fined $10,000 for, according to the WHL, “actions by club deemed detrimental to the league.”
F Brandon Magee, who turned 20 on Jan. 23, was given a 12-game suspension after he took a match penalty for attempt to injure. According to the WHL, “It is the second match penalty for the player this season. There were separate cross-checks to the heads of two opponents during incident.”
If you haven’t seen the video, Magee cross-checked Portland F Nic Petan on the back of the head and then cross-checked an onrushing Brendan Leipsic in the face area.
Victoria F Steven Hodges, who turned 20 on May 5, got five games after taking a game misconduct in the same game. According to the WHL, “He threw two separate punches at an unsuspecting opponent during altercation.”
Portland won the game, which was televised by Shaw, 5-1 and took the series, 4-1. Hodges was tossed at the end of the second period. Magee’s match penalty occurred at 15:10 of the third period.
(Unfortunately, the WHL has yet to take advantage of the media that is available to it by posting video of such incidents, along with having a league official explain the reasoning behind the disciplinary decisions. The NHL and the OHL, to name two leagues, provide such information; it’s time for the WHL to do it, too.)
Meanwhile, F Richard Nejezchleb of the Brandon Wheat Kings drew a two-game suspension for a clipping major and game misconduct in Game 5 against the host Edmonton Oil Kings on Friday. Nejezchleb, a Czech, will be a 20-year-old next season, so, as a two-spotter is unlikely to return to the WHL.
Ryan McGill, the head coach of the Kootenay Ice, was touched for $500 after he was hit with a game misconduct following Game 6 against the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers on Monday night. Darren Steinke of the Medicine Hat News reports that McGill was “shouting at the officials."
The Tigers won that game 2-1 to even the second-round series, 3-3. They will decide the issue tonight in Medicine Hat.
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The WHL, having failed once on the Lower Mainland of B.C., is interested in setting up shop there again, now that the Abbotsford Heat, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, are leaving the area.
WHL commissioner Ron Robison told Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun that “the market is of interest to us and now that it appears to be available, we will certainly put it on our radar screen.
“At this point, we don’t have any franchises that are considering relocation and there is no expansion coming in the foreseeable future. In our view, we’ve expanded sort of beyond our ideal number of 20-22 teams. So the only way we could be there is through relocation.
“We do believe the Fraser Valley would support a WHL franchise, but we just felt that the impact of having both Abbotsford and Chilliwack sharing, to some extent, the Fraser Valley market, it was difficult to operate under those circumstances.”
The Chilliwack Bruins operated for five seasons before the franchise was sold and relocated to Victoria, where it has operated as the Royals for three seasons.
Brian Burke, the Flames’ president of hockey operations, was a part-owner of the Bruins.
At a Tuesday news conference announcing the Heat’s departure, Bruce Banman, Abbotsford’s mayor, said that the city would be interested in attracting a WHL team as the facility’s anchor tenant.
Pap’s story is right here.
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Elliotte Friedman’s weekly 30 Thoughts is right here. Yes, it’s always worth reading. No, it doesn’t include anything on his future after Hockey Night in Canada.
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The Chicago Wolves, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s St. Louis Blues, have signed F Zach Pochiro to a PTO. Pochiro played out his junior eligibility with the Prince George Cougars this season, putting up 66 points, including 27 goals, in 63 games. . . . He then joined the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings with who he picked up two assists in nine games. . . . He was a fourth-round selection by the Blues in the NHL’s 2013 draft.
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G Chris Driedger, who completed his junior eligibility this season with the Calgary Htimen, has joined the AHL’s Binghamton Senators on an ATO. Driedger, a third-round pick by the parent Ottawa Senators in the 2012 NHL draft, was 28-14-7, 2.64, .918 with the Hitmen this season. . . . After the Hitmen were eliminated from the playoffs, he joined the ECHL’s Elmira Jackals. He got into four games there, going 1-2-0, 3.92, .893.
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The NHL’s Dallas Stars have signed F Branden Troock of the Seattle Thunderbirds to a three-year, entry-level contract. Troock was a fifth-round selection in the NHL’s 2012 draft. . . . Troock has battled injuries during his WHL career. He had 28 points, including 14 goals, in 58 games in 2011-12, then was limited to 19 games -- he had 11 points -- in 2012-13. This season, in 58 games, he put up 58 points, including 24 goals. . . . Troock, from Edmonton, turned 20 on March 20.
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The OUA’s Windsor Lancers have received a commitment from F Daulton Siwak (Red Deer, Prince George, 2008-13). Siwak, 20, has used up his junior eligibility. He played this season with the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings and the SJHL’s La Ronge Ice Wolves.
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F Mitch Holmberg, who won the WHL scoring title this season with the Spokane Chiefs, has signed with the ECHL’s Bakersfield Condors, who have placed him on their playoff roster. . . . After the Chiefs’ season ended, Holmberg joined the Oklahoma City Barons, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, who own the Condors.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The junior B Kelowna Chiefs, who play in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, have named Jason Tansem as their new head coach. Tansem was an assistant coach with the Chiefs. . . . Grant Sheridan remains as the Chiefs’ general manager, while former head coach Ken Andrusiak is assistant GM and video coach. . . . The Chiefs just finished their fourth season in Kelowna after making the move from Chase, B.C., over the summer of 2010.
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When you talk about the greatest defenceman in WHL history, Barry Beck has to be in the conversation. He played for the New Westminster Bruins (1974-77) and they won the WHL championship in each of his three seasons. . . . So where is Beck these days? He’s coaching in Hong Kong. . . . Daniel Gerber has more right here.
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THE SECOND ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. BRANDON (7)
(Edmonton wins, 4-1)
Season series: Edmonton, 3-1-0; Brandon, 1-2-1.
Thursday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 5 (5,899)
Saturday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 3 (7,115)
Tuesday: Edmonton 5 at Brandon 2 (3,522)
Wednesday: Edmonton 2 at Brandon 5 (3,246)
Friday: Brandon 1 at Edmonton 5 (6,356)
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MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
(Series tied, 3-3)
Season series: Medicine Hat, 3-3-0; Kootenay, 3-3-0.
Saturday: Kootenay 4 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,750)
Sunday: Kootenay 2 at Medicine Hat 5 (3,755)
Wednesday: Medicine Hat 1 at Kootenay 3 (2,461)
Thursday: Medicine Hat 4 at Kootenay 7 (2,578)
Saturday: Kootenay 2 at Medicine Hat 9 (3,624)
Monday: Medicine Hat 2 at Kootenay 1 (2,732)
Wednesday: Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
(NOTE: Kootenay plays home games in Cranbrook, B.C.)
INJURIES
Medicine Hat: F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
Kootenay: F Tim Bozon, indefinite; F Ryan Chynoweth, indefinite; D Landon Cross, day-to-day; D Tanner Faith, 3-5 months.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. SEATTLE (4)
(Kelowna wins, 4-0)
Season series: Kelowna, 2-1-1; Seattle, 2-1-1.
Thursday: Seattle 2 at Kelowna 6 (4,581)
Saturday: Seattle 3 at Kelowna 6 (5,675)
Tuesday: Kelowna 5 at Seattle 4 (5,029)
Wednesday: Kelowna 5 at Seattle 2 (2,219)
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PORTLAND (2) vs. VICTORIA (3)
(Portland wins, 4-1)
Season series: Portland, 1-1-2; Victoria, 3-1-0.
Friday: Victoria 2 at Portland 8 (6,152)
Saturday: Victoria 3 at Portland 6 (10,947)
Monday: Portland 1 at Victoria 2 (6,505)
Tuesday: Portland 4 at Victoria 3 (6,745)
Thursday: Victoria 1 at Portland 5 (8,083)
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THE THIRD ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. PORTLAND (2)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-0-0; Portland, 0-4-0.
Friday: Portland at Kelowna, 7:30 p.m. (Sportsnet)
Saturday: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
Tuesday: Kelowna at Portland (Moda Center), 7 p.m.
Wednesday, April 23: Kelowna at Portland (Moda Center), 7 p.m.
x-Friday, April 25: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday, April 27: Kelowna at Portland, 5 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 29: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, week-to-week.
Portland: None.
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EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. MEDICINE HAT (4)/KOOTENAY    (6)
Season series: Edmonton, 5-0-1; Medicine Hat, 1-5-0.
Season series: Edmonton, 4-2-0; Kootenay, 2-2-2.
Friday: Medicine Hat/Kootenay at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Sunday: Medicine Hat/Kootenay at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Other dates TBA.
INJURIES
Edmonton: D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
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From Bob Ridley (@BobRidley_CHAT), the Medicine Hat Tigers’ legendary radio voice and bus driver: “Tigers had bus egged by idiot Kootenay ice fans (Monday) nite. Not classy at all.”
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From Ron Jones (@hockeydraft411): “What the hell happened to Burke's hair? I don't feel so bad balding after that. #eaglefromthemuppets”

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Dueling news releases in the Dub

The WHL has quite a mess on its hands. In fact, it looks as though the WHL bit a grizzly on the butt without realizing that the big bear would snap back.
So, for the second day in a row, we got dueling news releases on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the Winterhawks were whacked with unheard of penalties – a $200,000 fine, the suspension of general manager/head coach Mike Johnston for the rest of this season, barred from the first five rounds of the 2013 bantam draft and the loss of first-round picks through 2017 – for rules infractions that the WHL said did not involve “payments or enhanced education benefits.”
Shortly after that release landed, the Winterhawks issued their own release. It stated that they were guilty of flying family members to and from Portland, paying for two players to train for a week in the offseason and providing a cell phone to the team captain.
(Guy Flaming of The Pipeline Show tweeted last night that he was told by a source that the Winterhawks were “fined $25K for their press release” on Wednesday.)
The fan and media outcry was immediate, with most observers wondering what wasn’t being told.
On Thursday, Doug McLean of Sportsnet’s Hockey Central at Noon asked:
“Could the Western Hockey League have sent as strong a message by fining them $25,000, a 10-game suspension . . . could the same message be sent without crippling a franchise? That’s my biggest problem with what happened yesterday. For what they did, that’s the death penalty. That’s like Ohio State getting the death penalty because their kids got tattoos.”
No one was disputing the fact that the Winterhawks had broken some rules, but, according to the WHL, they weren’t recruiting-related violations, so why the sledge hammer?
Early Thursday evening, the WHL – which had ended its Wednesday release by stating that it would have nothing more to say on this issue – attempted to clear the air with a release that included this: “The independent investigation identified 54 violations involving 14 players which have occurred over the past five seasons.”
The WHL didn’t spell out the infractions or breaking down that big number (54), but those are violations that were uncovered when the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers audited the Winterhawks’ operation.
Just minutes after the WHL’s release landed, the Winterhawks issued their own release and they did what the league didn’t do – they broke down that big number:
“• One player was provided flights for his family and a summer training program
“• Seven families were provided 2-4 flights per season over the course of five years
“• Two players were provided a one-week summer training session
“• Four captains over three years were provided cell phones.”
(We await news from the aforementioned Guy Flaming as to how much this news release will cost the Winterhawks, but I’m betting it’s 50 grand.)
The Portland news release continued: “The Western Hockey League released a statement indicating there were 54 violations over five years involving 14 players. The Winterhawks do not dispute these allegations, which are consistent with the statement the team made (Wednesday).
“The WHL is counting each flight, training session and phone as an individual infraction, adding up to 54. The league’s findings are consistent with the team’s statement yesterday . . .”
And then the Winterhawks appeared to fire a shot across the bow of the WHL by closing their news release with this: “. . . and the Winterhawks are encouraging more transparency in this process.”
This almost reads as though the Winterhawks are daring the WHL to audit the operation of every team in the league.
As Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province put it on his blog last night: “You really wonder where this is going. The Winterhawks can’t be the only team in WHL history that’s played fast and loose. How much dirty laundry is going to get unveiled?”
Anyway . . . the genie is out of the bottled and this has turned ugly, and the punishment still doesn’t appear to fit the crime.
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As I understand it, a player Portland traded away arrived in his new team’s office and presented a contract that hadn’t been registered with the WHL office so was not on file in Calgary. That contract apparently included something that isn’t in the standard contract.
That apparently sparked this investigation.
One person familiar with the situation told me last night that Johnston had the opportunity to “come clean” in June and again in October. The WHL holds its annual general meeting in June; there was a gathering of governors and general managers in October. The source indicated that Johnston didn’t “come clean” and that figured in the disciplinary measures.
The WHL’s Thursday night release stated:
“The violations all relate to providing players with benefits not permitted under WHL Regulations. The violations include additional parent travel, off-season training and other benefits. These additional benefits, which were not disclosed to the WHL, are strictly prohibited under WHL Regulations.
“All WHL Clubs and General Managers are required to fully disclose to the WHL all benefits provided to players and to ensure their Club is fully aware of and in compliance with WHL Regulations at all times.”
That last paragraph suggests that WHL general managers are expected to police themselves on these things. I would suggest that, if that is the case, perhaps it is time for the WHL to hire some people as befits a multi-million dollar business and handle its own auditing and enforcement procedures.
Someone else who is familiar with the goings-on told me Thursday morning – before the duelling news releases – that “85 per cent of the infractions were flights for parents.” If you break down the violations that number would appear to be fairly accurate.
Asked if payoffs were involved in any of this, he replied: “Paid off? Nothing could be further from the truth.”
This person also told me that “these guys saved the franchise. But they did too good a job and created animosity. The punishment doesn’t fit the crime.
“The only way to beat them is to cripple them.”
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The WHL’s Thursday night news release also included this quote attributed to commissioner Ron Robison: “These sanctions are necessary in order to protect the overall welfare and integrity of our League and to preserve a level playing field for all of our member Clubs and our players.”
There is no level playing field to preserve. Unfortunately, those days are gone forever. With no expense caps in place, how are the community-owned, small-market teams in Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Swift Current and Lethbridge expected to compete with the big-market teams that have more revenue streams? How are the privately owned Brandon Wheat Kings expected to compete?
If the WHL wants to try and maintain anything close to a level playing field, perhaps it’s time to implement a revenue-sharing plan of some sort. That would mean putting a cap on expenses and running everything, including player and coach contracts, through a league auditor.
Some teams, but not all, hold parent weekends. I am told that WHL rules allow a team to put on a banquet and to pay for lodging. But teams aren’t allowed to pay for travel. I wonder who polices the expenses incurred for those weekends?
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While the WHL has a gag order in place covering all of its people, Vancouver Giants owner Ron Toigo did speak in generalities about the situation with Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun. That story is right here.
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Daniel Nugent-Bowman, who covers the Saskatoon Blades for the Saskatoon Starphoenix, weighs in with his opinion of the Portland situation right here.
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It’s also interesting that Paul Buker of The Oregonian reported that “as of Thursday morning, Portland still did not know the specifics of Johnston’s suspension, what he can and can’t do the rest of the season.”
The story that included that info is right here.
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And now some Twitter time:
From Yahoo! Sports’ Steve McAllister (@yahoomac): “Further on the WHL's handling of the Winterhawks sanctions, PR in the league's eyes, stands for ‘private relations‘.
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From Dylan Bumbarger (@dylandb), who blogs about the Winterhawks: “if Portland exaggerate/lied on their statement, the WHL can cut them off at the knees in 30 secs by saying what happened...it's that simple”
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From Portland freelancer Scott Sepich (@SSepich): “Where we stand: Bunch of people convinced Winterhawks did more than publicized, Hawk fans think it's a witch hunt and everyone is jealous.”
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From Small Thoughts At Large blogger Alan Caldwell (@smallatlarge): “I love the WHL but they are completely inept when it comes to PR. They think the best way to control a story is to gag everyone.”
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From former Prince George Citizen sports editor Jim Swanson (@jswan11WBCnats): “Who knew the WHL wanted to be like the NCAA?”
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More from Swanson: “The comment about the WHL being like the NCAA is not fair, so an apology. The NCAA would explain its ruling,and answer questions #draconian”
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Sports director Earl Seitz of CFJC-TV in Kamloops (@EarlCFJCsports): “Agree with @pdxwinterhawks on this one. Needs to be more transparency in this league. #too many secrets”
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TSN hockey analyst Ray Ferraro (@rayferrarotsn): “#whl feels secure about penalties handed out to Portland – 1 day after saying there would be no further comment, they give 1 #try2justify”
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Edmonton Sun sports writer Rob Tychkowski (@SUN_TYCHKOWSKI): “WHL statement seems to confirm that yes, Portland death sentence was indeed for jaywalking. Obscene ruling. Way over the top.”
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Jason Stephens (@SylvanLakeSrAAA): “Does the @The WHL plan on auditing every team now??? I’m gonna guess you might find something outside the norm everywhere. #confused by it”
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Portland Oregonian sports writer Paul Buker (@Pnbuker): “Players disappointed, angry but told not to talk. ‘We talked about it in the room but that stuff’s gonna stay in the room,’ said (D Troy) Rutkowski”
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Former Winterhawks F Brad Ross (@bross1818): “I’m still in shock about the sanction handed down to my old club #winterhawks, and Mike Johnston. RT to show some support #memcuprunagain”
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From United States of Hockey editor Chris Peters (@chrismpeters): “It has probably already been an embarrassing few days for the WHL, but this tactless PR battle in the fallout is only making it worse.”
Peters has his take on the situation right here and it's definitely worth a read.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Michael Grabner (Spokane, 2004-07) signed a lockout contract with hometown team Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had 20 goals and 12 assists in 78 games with the New York Islanders last season. Grabner is scheduled to arrive in Austria today and hopes to be in the lineup on Sunday when Villach plays at home against Dornbirn. The Villach club press release thanks six local sponsors for coming up with the funds to pay Grabner, with a special thanks to Kleinen Zeitung, the regional newspaper, which is picking up half the tab. . . .
F Lukas Vantuch (Calgary, Lethbridge, 2005-06) has been reassigned on loan by Liberec (Czech Republic, Extraliga) to Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He has no points in five games with Liberec this season and had no points in one game on loan to Benatky nad Jizerou (Czech Republic, 1.Liga). Last season, Vantuch had nine goals and five assists in 52 games with Liberec.
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Former WHL D Kevin Kraus (Kamloops, Tri-City, 2006-08) is fortunate to be alive today.
Kraus, a 23-year-old from Garden Grove, Calif., fell asleep while driving on Wednesday night and ended up in the ditch, his truck wrecked. He was on the Trans-Canada Highway, just outside of Sicamous, which is 73km west of Revelstoke.
Kraus now is the general manager and head coach of the junior B Revelstoke Grizzlies, who play in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
Here’s what he wrote Thursday morning on Facebook: “Fell asleep at the wheel last night and totaled my truck... very lucky to be able to walk away from it and be alive right now, very thankful for the people who helped me last night. Life changing experience.”
On Thursday night, I asked him how he managed to survive.
“I have no idea . . . must be destined to do something!” he told me. “Very lucky and blessed to be alive right now and walk away with no injuries.”
As he dozed off behind the wheel, he said, “I went over a barrier and flipped and landed in between trees.”
If you are at all familiar with the terrain off the Trans-Canada Highway in that neck of the woods, you know just what a disaster this could have been.
The Grizzlies (4-2-0-1) return to action tonight in Armstrong, B.C., against the North Okanagan Knights.
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Followers of the Spokane Chiefs got a taste Thursday afternoon of what Twitter can be like when there’s a race to be first.
Here it is, in order of appearance:
SpokaneChiefsFanPage (@gochiefsgoblog): “Waiting for an official announcement but goaltender Mac Engel is gone from Spokane”
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Ben&StephenTH (@BenStephenTH): “Heading @chiefshockey G Mac Engel has been traded. Wonder if Vancouver may have been interested”
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Foofieq (@Foofiebrown): “@gochiefsgoblog: Waiting for an official announcement but goaltender Mac Engel is gone from Spokane”
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Susie Bush (@AgateShadow): “Is it true that Mac Engel is leaving the Chiefs? @ChiefsHockey)”
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Jess Brown (@jbrown_SRSports): “Just got off the phone with @chiefshockey GM Tim Speltz. Says G Mac Engel HAS NOT been traded. That’s as much as I have right now.”
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Ben&StephentH (@BenStephenTH): “Per @jbrown_SRSports who just got off the phone with Chiefs GM Tim Speltz. Mac Engel has NOT been traded.”
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Through it all, Engel’s name remained on the Chiefs’ roster.
Granted, the Chiefs are carrying three goaltenders, with Engel, a 19-year-old from Red Deer, one of them. Also in the mix are Eric Williams, a 19-year-old from Langley, B.C., who was acquired last season from the Prince Albert Raiders, and Garret Hughson, a 17-year-old freshman from Foremost, Alta.
Chances are the Chiefs will get down to two goaltenders and it very well could happen in the next few days.
But it simply isn’t fair to anyone when people to start spitting out gossip and rumours on the Twitterverse.
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The Regina Pats should have D Colton Jobke, 20, in the lineup tonight when they play host to the Red Deer Rebels. Jobke, who likely will be named Regina’s captain, had been in camp with the AHL’s Houston Aeros but was returned yesterday. That leaves the Pats with four 20-year-olds, the others being F Lane Scheidl, F Andrew Rieder, who is coming off shoulder surgery and has yet to play, and G Matt Hewitt. . . . Tonight’s game in Regina features the return of D Brandon Underwood, 20, to the Saskatchewan capital. Caught with too many 20s, the Pats dealt him to Red Deer late last month.
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So . . . what is wrong with the Vancouver Giants, who lost 7-0 to the Rockets in Kelowna on Wednesday and go into the weekend with the poorest winning percentage in the 22-team WHL?
“I’m not frustrated,” head coach Don Hay was telling reporters on Thursday, and if you believe that you are expecting the NHL to be back in action in 10 days.
As Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province points out, the Giants have picked a bad time to lay an egg, what with the NHL’s Canucks on the sidelines and there being lots of hungry hockey fans to try and get into your building.
The Giants also are walking a bit of a tightrope because they are planning on bidding for the 2016 Memorial Cup tournament. Which means they need to hang on to their good, young players in order to ensure that they are competitive then.
Anyway . . . Ewen takes a look at the situation right here.
Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun writes about the Giants’ start right here.
The Giants entertain the Medicine Hat Tigers tonight. Vancouver is expected to start G Tyler Fuhr, who has the club’s only victory, having beaten the visiting Spokane Chiefs 3-2 on Sunday.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes are in Kennewick, Wash., to play the Tri-City Americans tonight, which means it’s something of a Topping family reunion. . . . Mitch, 19, is a defenceman with the Americans. Joel, 17, is a freshman defenceman with the Hurricanes. . . . This will be the first time they’ve lined up against each other. . . . Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald reports right here that Mitch was planning on taking his younger brother for some Baskin-Robbins ice cream on Thursday.
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If you were watching Thursday’s NFL game on Sportsnet, you saw at least two plugs for Friday night hockey, featuring the Calgary Hitmen at the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Unfortunately, Sportsnet got a bit ahead of itself. That game is next Friday (Oct. 12). . . . Tonight, you will have to get by with the Shaw TV game, which features the Seattle Thunderbirds at the Kamloops Blazers.
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THURSDAY:
F Logan McVeigh scored the game’s first goal and finished plus-3 as his Prince Albert Raiders went into Edmonton and beat the Oil Kings, 4-1, in the night’s only game. . . . Raiders G Luke Siemens stopped 33 shots. . . . Edmonton F Dylan Wruck was back in the lineup after recovering from shoulder surgery. He was reunited with T.J. Foster and Michael St. Croix but it wasn’t a night to remember as each was minus-3. . . . The Raiders are 4-0-1 and own the WHL’s best winning percentage (.900). They meet the Hitmen in Calgary tonight and the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook on Sunday. . . . The defending-champion Oil Kings have lost two in a row, both at home. The last time that happened was in January 2011 when they dropped four straight at home. . . . The Oil Kings get back on the horse Saturday against the visiting Saskatoon Blades.
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CHECKING FROM BEHIND COUNT:
None.
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CHECKING TO THE HEAD COUNT:
None.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
Joel Topping (@topping9): “RT if you think @mitchtopping and I should fight tomorrow”

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Garrett Festerling (Portland, Regina, 2003-07) signed a one-year contract extension with the Hamburg Freezers (Germany DEL). He had four goals and 15 assists in 50 games for the Freezers this season.
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The WHL has suspended F Evan Bloodoff of the Kelowna Rockets, but the name of Brandon Wheat Kings F Shayne Wiebe doesn’t appear on the list of disciplined players.
Wiebe took a major penalty for boarding during an 8-4 victory over the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors on Saturday night. But he won’t be suspended. His penalty was reviewed by the WHL office and it was decided that a suspension wasn’t warranted.
Bloodoff, meanwhile, was hit with a major penalty for a hit on Vancouver Giants D Joel Rogers on Saturday night in Kelowna. Rogers, who recently returned from a concussion, left the ice on a stretcher and was taken to hospital. Rogers is a 20-year-old and it seems doubtful that he’ll return this season.
Bloodoff is shown on the WHL website as having been suspended “tbd” -- to be determined.
Doyle Potenteau of the Kelowna Daily Courier described Bloodoff’s hit as a “leaping, high hit.”
On Sunday, Bloodoff told Potenteau: “Whatever the league decides, I’ll be fine with. It’s out of my hands. It was a spur of the moment thing and I’m glad he’s alright.”
Bloodoff told Potenteau that he recognizes that “it’s still all on the player.”
He continued: “You have that last second to decide to hit the brakes . . . I dunno . . . it seems like there’s nothing I could have done there.”
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Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun reports that the Vancouver Giants have some serious injury problems as they prepare to open a first-round series against the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash., on Friday. That story is right here.
According to Pap, the Giants have picked up three more concussions over the last few days, to D Joel Rogers, F Michael Burns and F Anthony Ast, who had been recalled from the major midget Greater Vancouver Canadians.
Three more concussions means the WHL has seen at least 100 concussion/head injuries this season.
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Allan Maki of The Globe and Mail spoke with Dave Adolph, the head coach of the U of Saskatchewan Huskies hockey team, about the concussion problem. Adolph is the father of Kelowna Rockets F Max Adolph, who has been plagued by concussion woes this season. That piece is right here.
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The Saskatoon Blades are hopeful that they’ll have their top offensive unit back together for Game 1 of their first-round series with the Prince Albert Raiders on Saturday.
F Jake Trask, who sat out the Blades’ last two games after being hit from the blindside by Moose Jaw Warriors F Brett Lyon on March 16, just might be ready to go Saturday.
Trask, who was acquired from the Kamloops Blazers early in the season for a sixth-round bantam draft, pick, scored a career-high 30 goals. He has 20 goals in his last 25 games.
Cory Wolfe of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that Trask will go back onto a line with Brayden Schenn and Curtis Hamilton. That allows Josh Nicholls to rejoin Marek Viedensky and Darian Dziurzynski, with Matej Stransky, Brent Benson and Chris Collins reuniting.
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D Brenden Dillon of the Seattle Thunderbirds will finish the season with the Texas Stars, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars. Dillon, 20, signed a three-year NHL deal with Dallas on March 1. Dillon, Seattle’s captain, spent four season with the Thunderbirds.
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The Regina Pats have had five players leave for the pro ranks. F Garrett Mitchell, who signed with the NHL’s Washington Capitals on the weekend, joined the AHL’s Hershey Bears.
Four other players signed amateur tryout deals. D Brandon Davidson will finish up with the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons, while F Jordan Weal is with the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs, and F Shayne Neigum and D Art Bidlevskii have joined the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
Davidson was selected by the Edmonton Oil Kings in the sixth round of the NHL’s 2010 draft, while Weal went to the Los Angeles Kings in the third round of that same draft.
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Groups in Kamloops, Ottawa and St. John’s, Nfld., have submitted official bids in hopes of playing host to the 2013 IIHF world women’s championship.
The City of City of Kamloops, Ottawa Senators Sports and Entertainment, and Destination St. John’s/Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador submitted bids to Hockey Canada by the deadline and will make formal presentations in Calgary on April 6.
Originally, the Vancouver Island Amateur Hockey Association and the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association also expressed interest. The VIAHA has since withdrawn, while the OWHA joined forces with Ottawa Senators Sports and Entertainment.
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Ken Campbell, a senior writer with The Hockey News, has an interesting take on the situation involving Max Domi and the apparent decision by he and his family to skip the OHL and move to the USHL in time for next season. Campbell’s piece is right here.
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If you haven’t seen the Rimouski Oceanic’s answer to the defensive trap being played by the Montreal Juniors in a QMJHL game last week, check it out right here.
This comes courtesy of Neate Sager over at Yahoo! Sports and, as he mentions, this serves as some kind of a reminder that, above all else, major junior hockey teams are in the entertainment business.
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JUST NOTES: F Mark McNeill of the Prince Albert Raiders is the WHL’s player of the week. He had seven points, including five assists, in three games last week. . . . Deven Dubyk of the Medicine Hat Tigers is the WHL’s nominee as goaltender of the week. He recorded his first two career shutouts as he blanked the Calgary Hitmen in back-to-back games. . . . D Stefan Elliott of the Saskatoon Blades has signed a three-year deal with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. Elliott, who had 81 points, including 31 goals, in 71 games, led the WHL in plus-minus, at plus-62. He was the 49th overall selection in the 2009 NHL draft. Elliott turned 20 on Jan. 30. . . . According to capgeek.com, Elliott gets an AHL salary of US$67,500, with NHL salaries of $790,000, $840,000, and $900,000. His signing bonus is $270,000, payable over three years. . . .
Mike Vandekamp, a former head coach with the Prince George Cougars, has left the AJHL’s Grande Prairie Storm after four seasons and signed on as director of hockey operations and head coach with the BCHL’s Nanaimo Clippers. The Clippers have offered long-time head coach Bill Bestwick a position in their front office. Bestwick had a year left on his contract when he was removed by the Clippers’ new ownership group. . . . Blaine Bablitz, an assistant under Vandekamp, has taken over as GM and head coach of the Storm. . . . The BCHL’s Trail Smoke Eaters also have undergone a coaching change. Jim Ingram stepped down as GM and head coach on Friday, and the Smokies immediately signed assistant Bill Birks to a two-year deal as GM/head coach. . . .
The WHL holds its bantam draft lottery on Wednesday (11 a.m., Calgary time), with the six non-playoff teams taking part. This will establish the order of selection for the first six picks of the first round only. (Rounds 2 through 7 will be done by inverse order of the regular-season standings.) The most a team is allowed to advance is two spots, while the Hitmen are guaranteed at least the second pick. The Lethbridge Hurricanes are guaranteed two of the draft’s top five selections. They own Regina’s first pick, thanks to a deal that had F Carter Ashton go to the Pats last season.
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A couple of interesting notes from Graham Kendrick, the Portland Winterhawks’ director of media and public relations. . . .
1.
2. Winterhawks fans have been coming out on droves in recent weeks, including two sellouts of 10,947 over the teamCraig Cunningham has achieved an incredibly rare feat: he’s won a division title in all five of his seasons in the WHL. He won four straight B.C. Division titles as a member of the Vancouver Giants from 2007-10, and now owns a U.S. Division title with the Winterhawks. One of his former Giants teammates, Lance Bouma, was part of five straight division winners with the Giants from 2006-10, but as a 15-year-old call-up in 2005-06 he played just five games. It’s believed that Cunningham is the first player in modern WHL history to win five straight division titles while playing the majority of his team’s games.’s final four games. The Winterhawks averaged 9,597 fans per game in March, and have averaged 8,382 fans since the start of February. Overall the Winterhawks averaged 5,594 fans per game this season, a 26 per cent increase over last season.

A lawsuit, missing teeth, fighting words . . .

Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that former Everett Silvertips F Zack Dailey "has filed a lawsuit against the team over his Western Hockey League college scholarship." . . . That story is right here.
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F Zach Hamill had a terrific WHL career with the Everett Silvertips. But now he is in his third season as a professional -- he is in the Boston Bruins organization -- meaning he could be a restricted free agent after this season. He is with the AHL’s Providence Bruins and, with the NHL trade deadline arriving on Feb. 28, he is hearing his name in rumours. Check out this story from the Providence Journal.

Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun writes about Giants D Luke Fenske, who now is sporting the Bobby Clarke look, and the Giants, who are preparing for a weekend that includes a rematch with the Kelowna Rockets. That piece is right here.
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Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has a good piece in Thursday’s paper on the recent war of words between Dave Hunchak, the head coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors, and GM/head coach Lorne Molleken of the Saskatoon Blades. The intriguing part of Harder’s column are the thoughts of Moose Jaw F Cody Beach, who found himself in the middle of it all.
Check out Harder’s piece right here.
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Early in the first period of Montreal’s 4-1 loss to the Oilers in Edmonton on Thursday night, Canadiens D James Wisniewski was struck in the face by a shot taken by F Taylor Hall. Wisniewski left a lot of blood on the ice before exiting and being taken to hospital. This isn’t for the squeamish, but here’s a photo he had taken while he was at the hospital. . . . He was released from hospital later in the evening and was on the team’s flight to Calgary.
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And now for your reading enjoyment, here’s something from Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune. He put together a panel, including former Portland GM/head coach Ken Hodge, and picked the top 15 fighters in the history of the Winterhawks’ franchise. If you’re a WHL fan, this is an interesting read and it’s right here.