It's Clark Gillies Bobblehead Night in Regina tonight, to benefit former Pats
captain Kyle Deck, who has encountered some kidney-related health problems.
The bobblehead on the left will be given away tonight; the one on the right
is a Gillies bobblehead from Dec. 3, 2002.

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Petr Senkerik (Kootenay, Prince George, 2009-10) has been recalled by Kometa Brno (Czech Republic, Extraliga) from loan assignment to Zlin (Czech Republic, Extraliga) and assigned on loan to Slavia Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga) for the rest of this season. Senkerik had one assist in 17 games with Zlin this season. . . .

F Filip Vasko (Kelowna, Red Deer, Regina, 2011-13) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Martin (Slovakia, Extraliga). He had four goals and seven assists in 23 games this season split between the Rockets and the Rebels. Vasko did not appear in a game with the Pats.
———

The University of Alabama-Huntsville was accepted into the WCHA on Thursday. There are eight players on the Chargers’ roster who played junior A in Alberta and B.C., and five of those are from Western Canada.
Todd Milewski, the executive editor of USCHO.com, explains what it all means right here and right here.
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If you’re paying attention to the Lance Armstrong mess, you may be interested in this piece right here. It’s from Outside magazine. Written by Bill Gifford, it takes an in-depth look at Livestrong. Did you realize that Livestrong doesn’t give money to cancer research?
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Bonnie Ford of ESPN.com has a terrific piece right here on Lance Armstrong and what she saw in Part 1 as he visited Oprah’s confessional.
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THURSDAY’S GAME:
In Red Deer, F Rhyse Dieno scored three times and G Patrik Bartosak made 36 saves as the Rebels dropped the Edmonton Oil Kings, 4-1. . . . Dieno broke a 1-1 tie with a breakaway goal — off a pass from F Scott Feser — at 8:20 of the third period. . . . Dieno, a 19-year-old from Davidson, Sask., came into this season with four goals and eight assists in 66 games split between the Kamloops Blazers (16) and Medicine Hat Tigers (4). Since joining the Rebels from the SJHL’s La Ronge Ice Wolves, Dieno has 27 points, 14 of them goals, in 25 games. . . . Edmonton D Martin Gernat returned to the lineup for the first time this season. He had offseason shoulder surgery. . . . The NHL’s New York Islanders returned D Griffin Reinhart to the Oil Kings but he wasn’t in their lineup. . . . The Rebels were without D Mathew Dumba, who remains with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.

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Please take a moment today to think about — or, if you are so inclined, to say a prayer for — the families and friends of Brennan Luffman and Shaun Seghers, two senior hockey players who were killed when their truck hit a semi near Weyburn, Sask., in ugly weather on Tuesday night.
Both men played for the Arcola-Kisbey Combines and were on their way to Arcola for a Big Six Hockey League game against the Oxbow Huskies.
Seghers played in the SJHL with the Weyburn Red Wings a few years ago, while Luffman also had pitched in the Western Major Baseball League with the Weyburn Beavers and Moose Jaw Millers.
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The Kamloops Blazers announced late Wednesday night that they have released F Charles Inglis, 20.
Shortly after the Blazers had been beaten 5-2 by the Oil Kings in Edmonton, Kamloops issued a news release. Here it is, in its entirety:
“General Manager Craig Bonner announced tonight that the Blazers have parted ways with 20-year-old forward Charles Inglis.
“Inglis came to the Blazers in a trade in late November. Inglis played 11 games with the Blazers and recorded five assists in his short time.”
The Blazers had acquired Inglis from the Red Deer Rebels for a conditional fifth-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft. Chances are the pick was conditional on his being on the Blazers’ roster on Jan. 10, the trading and roster deadline, so that pick now will remain with Kamloops.
Inglis played in last night’s loss, and got into a scrap with F Mitch Moroz.
In 290 regular-season games, split between the Saskatoon Blades, Prince George Cougars, Red Deer and Kamloops, he has 177 points, including 92 goals, and 440 penalty minutes.
The Blazers’ roster now contains two 20-year-olds — F Brendan Ranford and F Dylan Willick, who won’t play until after Christmas because of a broken ankle.
———
F Filip Vasko, 19, is on the move for the second time in a couple of weeks. Vasko, from Slovakia, was dealt by the Kelowna Rockets to the Red Deer Rebels on Nov. 29. Then, on Wednesday, he was moved by the Rebels, along with F Marc McCoy, 18, and a conditional fifth-round 2015 bantam draft pick for the rights to Czech F Dominik Volek, 18.
McCoy, 6-foot-2, 190-pounder from Edmonton, has six points in 28 games with the Rebels. Last season, he had 10 points in 63 games. Vasko has 11 points in 23 games split between Kelowna and Red Deer. He has missed the last couple of Red Deer games with a knee injury but may make his Regina debut this weekend.
Volek had 32 points in 70 games with the Pats last season, but chose not to return this season. Instead, he is playing with Farjestad of Sweden’s Super Elite League for whom he has five points in 13 games. He is the son of former NHLer David Volek and, according to a Red Deer news release, “is expected to join the Rebels after the Christmas break.“
Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ owner/general manager/interim head coach, played with David Volek with the NHL’s New York Islanders.
“We didn’t make the trade for him because I know the family, although it’s nice to have an idea of what the kid is about and to know what the family is about,” Sutter told Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate. “(David) has talked to me about Dominik as a player in the past.”
According to Meachem, “Volek will be in Red Deer for a Boxing Day practice and will be in the Rebels’ lineup for a Dec. 27 meeting with the Oil Kings in Edmonton.”
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The Pats also made another deal yesterday, acquiring D Darian Henry, 18, from the Calgary Hitmen for a fifth-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft.
Henry, 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds, was a seventh-round pick by the Everett Silvertips in the 2009 bantam draft. He had one assist in 16 games with Everett last season. The Silvertips dealt him to Calgary over the summer for F Luke Gordon, 18, who is with the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals.
This season, in 30 games with Calgary, Henry had six points and 77 penalty minutes.
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F Dylan Stewart, a fifth-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft, is joining the Prince Albert Raiders for a couple of days. Stewart will return to the midget AAA Edmonton-Canadian Athletic Club Raiders on Saturday. The Raiders are at home to the Kootenay Ice on Friday.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Marlin Murray, the general manager and head coach of the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings, has signed a contract that will take him through the 2015-16 season. Murray,35, is in his 10th season with the Kings.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, the Saskatoon Blades erased a 1-0 deficit with four straight goals and beat the Warriors, 5-2. . . . The Blades have won four in a row. . . . F Josh Nicholls scored his 24th goal of the season for Saskatoon. . . . Moose Jaw F Sam Fioretti didn’t return to the game after taking a high-sticking minor and a misconduct at 14:59 of the second period. “Sam wasn’t feeling good,” Moose Jaw head coach Mike Stothers told Katie Brickman of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald. . . .

In Red Deer, the Calgary Hitmen scored two quick third-period goals and beat the Rebels, 2-1. . . . The Hitmen were trailing 1-0 when F Brooks Macek and F Victor Rask scored at 5:46 and 6:12 respectively to put them out front. . . . The Hitmen are 12-1-1 on the road, but just 9-6-3 at home. . . . F Adam Musil, the Rebels’ first-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft, made his WHL debut. He may stay and play in weekend home games against the Victoria Royals and Kelowna Rockets. . . .

In Lethbridge, the Kelowna Rockets scored twice in the first period and went on to beat the Hurricanes, 3-1. . . . The Rockets, who have won four straight, are 9-1-0 in their last 10. . . . F J.T. Barnett’s fourth goal of the season, on a PP at 14:12 of the first, stood up as the winner. . . .

In Edmonton, G Tristan Jarry made 37 saves and F Henrik Samuelsson scored twice as the Oil Kings bounced the Kamloops Blazers, 5-2. . . . The Blazers had won four in a row. . . . F Aaron Macklin got his first WHL goal for Kamloops. . . . Samuelsson has 16 goals this season. . . . Jarry got the start with Laurent Brossoit, the Oil Kings’ No. 1 goaltender, in Calgary at the national junior team’s selection camp. . . . Patrick Dea, a 15-year-old from St. Albert, Alta., backed up Jarry. Dea was the 22nd overall selection in the 2012 bantam draft.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
Former WHLer Stu Grimson (@asgrimson): “@heyojayo, ‘Tomorrows New York Times crossword 66 down: _ _ _ Grimson of the NHL. again’ i got 66 down …. and ONLY 66 down.”
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From Portland D Josh Hanson (@HansoloCup4): “It’s called an ‘acceleration ramp’ for a reason. I’m not 100% sure but I think you’re supposed to accelerate. #GasIsOnTheRight:
The Winerhawks defenceman continues his campaign to get Oregon drivers on the same page.


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Clayton Stoner (Tri-City, 2002-05) signed a lockout contract with Banska Bystrica (Slovakia, Extraliga). He had one goal and four assists in 51 games with the Minnesota Wild last season. . . .
D David Hajek (Spokane, 1998-99) signed a contract extensio with Dresdner Eislwen (Germany, 2. Bundesliga) through the end of this season. He has three goals and four assists in 16 games for Dresden this season. Hajek had originally signed a try-out contract with Dresden in August. This was converted into a 3 1/2-month contract after one exhibition game and was set to expire on Dec. 15.
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The OHL’s Erie Otters have named Kris Knoblauch as their new head coach, replacing Robbie Ftorek, 60, who was fired on Thursday. The Otters, whose roster includes 15-year-old phenom Connor McDavid, were 7-15-5, which has them in last place in the Western Conference. Knoblauch, 34, will work his first game tonight against the Hounds in Sault Ste. Marie. . . . Peter Sidorkiewicz remains as the Otters’ assistant coach. . . . Knoblauch was dismissed by the Kootenay Ice over the summer after he applied for the U of Alberta Golden Bears’ head-coaching position while still under contract. Knoblauch had been helping out as an assistant coach with the junior B Kimberley Dynamiters of the Kootenay International Junior League.
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JUST NOTES:
The Saskatoon Blades have decided to keep D Nelson Nogier for the remainder of the season. Nogier, a fourth-round selection in the 2011 bantam draft, started the season with the midget AAA Saskatoon Contacts. Nogier was brought in prior to the Blades leaving on a B.C. Division swing. They are said to be especially enamoured with his leadership abilities, but don’t want to put too big a load on a 16-year-old freshman. . . . Nogier is the son of former WHL G Pat Nogier. . . . The Blades are in Calgary tonight and expect to have F Shane McColgan (concussion) back in their lineup after a three-game absence. . . .
The Prince Albert Raiders have signed F Austin Daae, 19, who was playing for the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins. Daae, who is from Estevan, had 16 points, including five goals, in 21 games. Daae had six points in 52 games with the Prince George Cougars last season. . . . The Raiders are looking for depth as they begin to prepare to lose a number of players to Christmas tournaments.
The Red Deer Rebels have acquired F Filip Vasko, who turns 19 on Dec. 10, from the Kelowna Rockets for a conditional sixth-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. Vasko, a Slovakian sophomore, has 10 points, including three goals, in 19 games this season. Last season, in 51 games, he had 12 assists. The draft pick is payable if Vasko is on the Rebels’ roster after the Jan. 10 trade deadline.
A note from Alan Caldwell of Small Thoughts At Large about this trade: “Kelowna already owned Red Deer's 2013 6th round bantam pick from another conditional deal, the one that sent Austin Ferguson to Red Deer a month ago. Since Red Deer sent Ferguson home 2 weeks ago to decide if he wants to be a hockey player, I guess it's now safe to say the Ferguson trade has been nullified, Red Deer got the pick back and promptly traded it to Kelowna again for Vasko now.”
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In an interesting piece in The Globe and Mail, Alan Maki reports:
A season-long medical study like no other has examined head injuries among university hockey players and determined there is “significant underreporting” of concussions in both men’s and women’s hockey.
That story is right here.
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If you aren’t aware of it, there is an interesting story unfolding on a blog that carries the title The Myles McCauley Story. It is right here.
As the blog’s subtitle reads: “This is a story of Myles McCauley. Myles is hockey player from Sterling Heights, Michigan and this is the story of his journey in the OHL and a detour to Penticton, BC and the BCHL.”
The story includes emails and, well, you should check it out because someone, as they say, is going to have some splaining to do.

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

Some of what appears today is left over from Tuesday night, when there were issues. . . . Ahh, I did some compiling at work and then forgot to email it to my laptop. . . .
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If you are interested in an eBook version of Sudden Death: The Incredible Saga of the 1986 Swift Current Broncos, the links are further down on this page.
I also heard yesterday from a friend who ordered the book from Amazon. He had received notification that his copy had shipped.
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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Byron Ritchie (Lethbridge, 1993-97) signed a two-year contract extension with Bern (Switzerland, NL A). He has 11 goals and 17 assists in 24 games with Bern this season, which puts him in sixth place in league scoring. The contract extension keeps Ritchie with Bern through the 2014-15 season. . . .
F Jason Chimera (Medicine Hat, Brandon, 1996-99) was granted his release from Chomutov (Czech Republic, Extraliga) for personal reasons. He had one goal in five games with Chomutov this season. Chimera's family did not accompany him to Chomutov and he decided it was best to return home. Chomutov GM Leo Gudas says that should the NHL season be cancelled, Chimera could return to Chomutov with his family and finish out the season with the club. . . .
F Domenic Pittis (Lethbridge, 1991-94) signed a two-year contract extension with Visp (Switzerland, NL B). He has one goal and 13 assists in eight games this season. Pittis is now under contract with Visp through the end of the 2014-2015 season. . . .
F Tyler Redenbach (Prince George, Swift Current, Lethbridge, 2001-05) was released by HIFK Helsinki (Finland, SM-Liiga) to make room for Washington Capitals F Mathieu Perreault, who was signed to a lockout contract. Redenbach had three goals and nine assists in 23 games with HIFK this season. . . .
F Jesse Schultz (Tri-City, Prince Albert, Kelowna, 1999-2003) signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Braehead Clan Glasgow (Scotland, UK Elite). Schultz started the season with Milan Rossoblu (Italy, Serie A), registering two goals and two assists in eight games before his release in mid-October. . . .
F Marek Ivan (Lethbridge, Moose Jaw, 1996-98) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Karvina (Czech Republic, 2. Liga), just four days after his release by Novy Jicin (Czech Republic, 2. Liga). He had seven goals and eight assists in 10 games with Novy Jicin this season. Ivan played for Karvina last season, getting 19 goals and 25 assists in 39 games for them.
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Sophomore D Spencer Wand, 17, has left the Kootenay Ice and returned to his home in Saskatoon. Wand suffered a concussion on Nov. 16 against the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings. The Ice thought Wand was making a good recovery, but he told head coach Ryan McGill on Monday that he had lost the desire to play and that he was quitting hockey. . . . Wand was a fourth-round selection in the 2010 bantam draft. . . . He had one assist and 37 penalty minutes in 15 games this season. . . . Wand’s departure leaves the Ice with six defencemen on its roster.
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The injury-riddled Regina Pats have added F Connor Gay, 17, to their roster. He had been with the SJHL’s Kindersley Klippers, for whom he had 17 points, including seven goals, in 20 games.
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It would appear that the Kelowna Rockets have dealt Slovakian F Filip Vasko, 19, to the Red Deer Rebels. Vasko, who has 10 points, including three goals, in 19 games this season, didn’t play for the Rockets in last night’s 3-2 victory over the visiting Tri-City Americans. (Attendance in Kelowna was 4,769, and what's with that?)
After the game, Kelowna D Jesse Lees (@LeeserBeam2) tweeted: “Gonna miss @filvask great guy, good luck in red deer”
Kelowna D Madison Bowey (@m_bows4) tweeted: “Always sad to see a teammate go. Gonna miss ya @filvask #loveha #eurobeaut”
Vasko’s handle on Twitter is @filvask.
Last season, he had 12 assists in 51 games.
With F Carter Rigby and F J.T. Barnett returning from injuries, the Rockets had 16 forwards on their roster.
The Rebels have been playing with just one import — Czech G Patrik Bartosak.
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D Ryan Murray of the Everett Silvertips will have shoulder surgery sometime next month and isn’t likely to play again this season. Murray, who also would have played for Canada’s national junior team, was injured on Nov. 16 in a game against the Royals in Victoria. He was diagnosed with a small tear in the labrum, a diagnosis that was confirmed by the medical staff of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. They selected him with the second pick of the 2012 NHL draft.
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THE COACHING GAME:
After starting the season 1-9-1, the Southern Professional Hockey League’s Augusta RiverHawks have fired head coach Rob Miller, who was in his first season there. Mark Richards, the team president, has stepped in as interim head coach while the search goes on for a replacement. . . . Miller took over the RiverHawks from Brad Ralph, who now is the head coach of the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads. . . .
Ben Johnson, who played 31 games with the Spokane Chiefs (1997-99), is the new head coach of the Duluth Clydesdales of the Superior International Junior League. They won just once in their first 20 games. Johnson had been the club’s director of player development. He replaces Aaron Haupert, who was in his first season as head coach.
———
The departures are soon to start.
The Prince Albert Raiders are to lose F Jonas Knutsen and F Leon Draisaitl to tournament play.
Knutsen will play for Norway at the IIHF Division I U-20 tournament that opens in Amiens, France, on Dec. 9. Knutsen, who is to leave Dec. 5, is expected to miss five WHL games.
Draisaitl will play for Germany in the World Junior Championship that opens Dec. 26 in Ufa, Russia. He is the WHL’s top-scoring freshman, with 23 points. Draisaitl is to leave Dec. 10 and will miss as many as eight WHL games.
In Brandon, the Wheat Kings are preparing for the loss of Alessio Bertaggia, their second-leading scorer. Bertaggia will attend Switzerland’s training camp in mid-December. He played for Switzerland in last season’s tournament, so is expected to make the roster again this time.

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Blazers banged up and 2-and-0

The Kamloops Blazers, wearing their latest third jerseys, celebrate Friday's
6-5 overtime victory over the visiting Kelowna Rockets. The Blazers
beat the Rockets 3-2 in Kelowna on Saturday night.
(Doyle Potenteau / DubNation)

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Guy Charron, the head coach of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, never went to medical school.
But you couldn’t fault him if he spent Sunday studying Gray’s Anatomy or on his laptop at WebMD.com.
After all, Charron’s Blazers may be 2-0 but they are without starting goaltender Cole Cheveldave and their shutdown defensive pairing of Tyler Bell and Tyler Hansen.
Despite the adversity and despite trailing 2-0 heading into the third period on Saturday night in Kelowna, the Blazers came back to beat the Rockets, 3-2, on a late power-play goal by Matt Needham. One night earlier, the Blazers twice coughed up two-goal leads before scoring a 6-5 overtime victory over the Rockets.
Cheveldave and Bell both went down Friday night and neither played in the rematch.
Cheveldave suffered what is believed to be a knee injury when he was run into by Kelowna forward Colton Sissons in the second period. The sophomore goaltender is to be re-evaluated Wednesday.
“Cheveldave is better than first expected,” Charron stated.
Bell left in the first period with a knee injury after taking a hit from behind from Kelowna forward Henrik Nyberg. Bell was in for some treatments on Sunday and is thought to be the least-injured of the trio.
Hansen left Saturday’s game on a stretcher and was taken to hospital after becoming involved in some incidental contact and falling head-first into the boards. X-rays were taken, but all came back negative. He was released from hospital before midnight and returned to Kamloops with Blazers goaltender coach Dan De Palma.
Hansen met with trainer Colin Robinson on Sunday and then was to see a doctor. Hansen is expected to be checked for concussion today.
“Hansen . . . wasn’t hit from behind,” Charron explained. “It was a collision or contact from behind and could have been worse than what it is. From what we could see, it was accidental . . . just a freaky thing.”
The Blazers don’t play again until Friday when they meet the Royals (2-0) in Victoria. Bell may be the closest of the three to playing, but at this point, as Charron said, “We don’t know.”
What he does know is that his team is proving that it is never out of a game.
Twice in the exhibition season, the Blazers won games after being down three goals.
On Saturday, the Rockets took a 2-0 lead on goals by Zach Franko, at 13:10 of the first period, and Slovakian Filip Vasko, at 14:21 of the second. Vasko, a sophomore forward who was scratched on Friday, scored his first WHL goal after going goal-less in 51 games last season.
“Our concern,” Charron said, “was let’s make sure they don’t get the third one.”
In the third period, he said, “We went after them. The third period was our best period. Realistically, they only had two scoring chances in the third period. We dominated the third period pretty well and it allowed us to come back.”
The Blazers outshot their hosts 14-4 in the third period and had the period’s only three goals.
Dylan Willick got the Blazers rolling at 5:23 of the third period, with Brendan Ranford tying it at 9:38.
Kelowna’s Colton Heffley was penalized for roughing at 17:56, and Needham got the winner, his second goal in two games, at 19:27. Needham was alone at the top of the crease when Colin Smith found him with a centring pass out of a corner.
The Blazers, who were 3-for-11 on the power play one night earlier, were 1-for-2 this time.
“We’re a team that it’ll be tough to put us completely out of a game,” Charron said. “We have the ability to come back.”
Kamloops goaltender Taran Kozun, 18, stopped 27 shots in earning his third WHL victory. He was 1-1 last season when he was assigned to the SJHL’s Nipawin Hawks.
“He played well,” Charron said. “He made some good saves. He looked in control. He was controlling his rebounds. He covered when he need to.”
Charron also had kind words for Kelowna goaltender Jordon Cooke, who also made 27 saves.
“He made some real good saves,” Charron said. “This guy was unbelievable.”

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Oleg Tverdovsky (Brandon, 1994-95) was released by Salavat Yulaev Ufa (Russia, KHL). He had no points in 12 games this season. Tverdovsky cleared KHL waivers last week but elected not to report to Salavat Yulaev's farm club, Toros Neftekamsk (Russia, Vysshaya Liga).
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JUST NOTES: F Filip Vasko, 18, of the Kelowna Rockets will attend the Slovakian national junior team’s selection camp in Three Hills, Alta., Dec. 15-23. Vasko, in his freshman WHL season, has 11 assists in 24 games with the Rockets. . . .
F Geordie Wudrick (Swift Current, Kelowna, 2005-11) is leaving the Rosenheim Star Bulls, a German pro team, to join the U of New Brunswick Varsity Reds, the No. 1 team in Canadian Interuniversity Sport’s latest rankings. . . . Wudrick had 59 points, 43 of them goals, in 71 games with the Kelowna Rockets last season. . . . He will play for the V-Reds after Christmas. . . . Wudrick had nine points in 14 games with Rosenheim, which plays in the 2.Bundesliga. . . .
F Thomas Frazee (Portland, Medicine Hat, Regina, Moose Jaw, Kamloops, 2005-11) will play for the Lakehead University Thunderwolves after Christmas. Frazee, 21, finished up his WHL eligibility with the Kamloops Blazers last season. He went to camp this season with the NHL”s Washington Capitals and began the season with the ECHL’s Bakersfield Condors, finishing up with a goal and three assists. . . .
F Adam Rockwood of the Northeast Chiefs put up 28 points in eight B.C. major midget league games in November. That broke the record for most points in a month set by F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, now with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. . . . Rockwood is on the Medicine Hat Tigers’ list. . . . The Chiefs, who are coached by Doneau Menard (New Westminster, Victoria, 1985-89), are on an 8-0 run. . . . The Federal Hockey League’s Vermont Wild, who played out of Morrisville, have ceased operations. They lasted 10 games, going 3-7-0. . . .
The NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets have returned F Oliver Gabriel, 20, to the Portland Winterhawks. He should play Friday against the visiting Everett Silvertips. Gabriel, a free-agent signee of the Blue Jackets, was with the AHL’s Springfield Falcons. He had one goal in 11 games. Last season, he had 32 points in 41 games with Portland before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in January. . . . Gabriel’s arrival leaves Portland with four 20-year-olds, one over the limit. The others are D William Wrenn, the team’s captain, F Dillon Wagner and F Charles Wells. The Winterhawks have two weeks from Gabriel’s arrival to get down to three. . . .
The Lethbridge Hurricanes have assigned G Tanner Kovacs to the AJHL’s St. Albert Steel. That leaves the Hurricanes with Damien Ketlo, 20, and Liam Liston, 18, as their goaltenders. Kovacs, 17, had gotten into only three games.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Former WHL player and coach Brad Lauer has joined the Anaheim Ducks as an assistant coach. The move came as the Ducks fired head coach Randy Carlyle and replaced him with Bruce Boudreau, who had been dumped a couple of days earlier by the Washington Capitals. Lauer was an assistant under Cory Clouston with the NHL’s Ottawa Senators last season. After Ottawa cleaned house, he signed as an assistant with the Syracuse Crunch, Anaheim’s AHL affiliate. . . .
The USHL’s Omaha Lancers fired GM/head coach Bliss Littler on Wednesday, replacing him with assistant coach Mike Aikens, at least on an interim basis. The Lancers were 9-8-2 and third in the Western Conference in Littler’s fourth season with them. He was 117-60-22 in Omaha. . . . Perhaps it’s a sign of the times that Littler announced his firing via Twitter. Here’s his tweet: “Fired this morning. Good luck to a bunch of great kids and staff.” . . .
Earlier in the week, Kevin Willison resigned as director of hockey operations and head coach of the AJHL’s Olds Grizzlys. Assistant coach Brett Hopfe is the interim head coach. Olds was 9-18-0-3 after going 0-7-1-2 in November. Willison had been with the Grizzlys since August 2010. . . .
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In Saskatoon, the Reinhart brothers combined for seven points as the Kootenay Ice whipped the Blades, 6-1. . . . F Max Reinhart scored three times, while his younger brother, Sam, drew four assists. . . . Ice G Nathan Lieuwen stopped 20 shots. . . . Max Reinhart, 19, has 34 points, including 15 goals, in 24 games. In his career, he has 191 points in 229 games. . . . This was his third WHL hat trick — he had a four-goal game and three-goal game last season. . . . Sam Reinhart, 16, has 26 points, 18 of them assists, in 27 games. He has followed three pointless games by putting up 18 points in his last six games. He has had at least two points in each of those games, as he has alternated two- and four-point outings. . . . The Ice also set a franchise record with its seventh straight road victory. . . . The defending-champion Ice (19-5-3) boasts the WHL’s best record. . . . “That was like some of the girls you used to date, Daniel,” Lorne Molleken, the Blades’ GM/head coach, said to Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. . . .

In Brandon, F Brenden Walker had a goal and two assists as the Wheat Kings scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Vancouver Giants, 5-4. . . . F Mark Stone, the WHL scoring leader, got the winner just 38 seconds into the third period. He has 25 goals. . . . Brandon, which had lost three straight, trailed 4-2 when it scored two quick PP goals, the first on the 5-on-3. . . . F Alessio Bertaggia got the Wheaties to within one and D Brodie Melnychuk tied it. . . . F Brendan Gallagher had three goals for the Giants, giving him 22 on the season. . . . Vancouver D Kiefer McNaughton didn’t return after taking a punch from Brandon F Mike Ferland in a second-period bout. . . . The teams became involved in a donnybrook of sorts at games end. It resulted in six fighting majors, which means it was a multi-fight situation. That means — ch-ch-ching! — there will be fines. And just in time for Christmas shopping, too. . . . The Wheat Kings were without G Brandon Anderson (flu), so had Tyrel Heap of a local high school team, the Crocus Plains Plainsmen, backing up Corbin Boes. . . .

In Prince Albert, G Luke Siemens stopped 18 shots to help the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 3-0 victory over the Raiders. . . . Siemens has two shutouts this season. . . . Prince Albert D Tyler Hart took a cross-checking major and game misconduct at 11:02 of the third period. . . . The Warriors had a 35-18 edge in shots. . . . D Dylan McIlrath was back in Moose Jaw’s lineup after sitting out a three-game suspension. . . .

In Medicine Hat, the Lethbridge Hurricanes erased a 2-0 deficit and went on to beat the Tigers, 4-3. . . . D James Bettauer had two goals and an assist for the Tigers. He has 12 points, including seven goals, in 16 games. . . . The Hurricanes were one skater short due to injuries. . . . Lethbridge G Damien Ketlo stopped 35 shots. . . . The Hurricanes were without F Graham Hood (suspension), who is awaiting supplementary discipline for a hit on Red Deer F Josh Cowen, who didn’t play last night in a loss to the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Lethbridge did have D Albin Blomqvist and F Juraj Bezuch back after one-game absences (flu). . . .

In Red Deer, F Mitch Holmberg scored twice as the Spokane Chiefs beat the Rebels, 5-2. . . . The Chiefs, who won for the first time in nine road games this season, are 1-1 on their Central Division trek. . . . The Chiefs had a 22-15 edge in shots. . . . Spokane captain Darren Kramer scored his 10th goal of the season in his 22nd game. he had seven in 68 games last season. . . . Chiefs D Brenden Kichton, one of the WHL’s more under-appreciated players, had a goal and two assists. He has 24 points in 23 games. . . . The Rebels have lost seven in a row. . . . Red Deer had four forwards and two defencemen out with injury or suspension. The Rebels dressed F Conner Bleackley of the midget AAA UFA Bisons. He was their first pick in the 2011 bantam draft. F Scott Feser, an eighth-round pick in 2010, played his second straight game. He plays for the midget AAA Red Deer Optimist Rebels. . . . All told, the Rebels were without D Alex Petrovic, D Aaron Borejko, F Turner Elson, F Josh Cowen, F Daulton Siwak and F Adam Kambeitz. . . . The Rebels open a four-game road trip in Brandon on Friday. . . .

In Kelowna, F Brett Bulmer scored two goals to help the Rockets dump the Tri-City Americans, 6-2. . . . Bulmer has eight goals. . . . The Rockets are 6-3-1 in their last 10 outings. . . . The Americans had won four in a row and finished November with an 8-2-0 record for the month. . . .

In Victoria, F Chase Schaber’s fourth goal in two games, at 2:30 of overtime, gave the Kamloops Blazers a 6-5 victory over the Royals. . . . Schaber’s goal came with Victoria forward Jesse Pauls in the penalty box for slashing. . . . Schaber had scored three times Tuesday night as the Blazers beat the Royals 4-3 in Victoria. . . . Kamloops has now beaten the Royals four straight times this season, including 4-1 in Kamloops on Friday night. . . . The teams meet for the fourth time in nine nights on Saturday in Kamloops. . . . The Blazers (18-7-1) are 6-1-1 in their last eight games and have won four in a row. They boast the WHL’s best road record (9-2-1) and are 10-2 inside the B.C. Division, which they now lead by a point over the Vancouver Giants. Kamloops also is within a point of the Western Conference-leading Tri-City Americans. . . . The Royals (11-15-2) now have lost six in a row and nine of 10.
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WEDNESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Justin Weller, Red Deer
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TWEET OF THE NIGHT:
From Edmonton Oil Kings F Tyler Maxwell, who tweets as KingMaxymus23: “I'm proud to be part of a generation that was once mesmerized by Lite-Brites but now complains if we can't stream HD video from our phones.”
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The host Regina Pats beat Prince Albert 5-2 on Sunday night, preventing the Raiders from posting the franchise’s 1,000th regular-season victory since entering the WHL in 1982. . . . Regina D Artem Bidlevskii left in the second period following a fight with F Chance Braid. Bidlevskii was in a state of wooziness as he departed. . . . In Vancouver, F Brendan Gallagher had a goal and three assists as the Giants dumped the Kelowna Rockets, 5-2. The Giants are 6-1-1 at home and 0-5-0 on the road. . . . Gallagher has 17 points in nine games since returning from the camp of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens. . . .
Former Rockets D Tyson Barrie scored twice on Sunday, including the overtime winner, as the visiting Lake Erie Monsters scored a 5-4 AHL victory over the host Toronto Marlies. . . . In Kent, Wash., the Everett Silvertips scored a 5-1 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. It was the first time this season that the Silvertips (3-8-2) held an opponent to one goal. . . . The Calgary Hitmen had a three-game winning streak end as they lost 4-2 to the visiting Kootenay Ice on Sunday afternoon. . . .
The WHL’s department of justice will be busy early in the week as there are three players sitting out with those “tbd” suspensions.
D Blake Orban of the Vancouver has been sitting since taking an interference major in a game in Kelowna on Thursday. . . . D Kyle Verdino of the Seattle Thunderbirds is sitting out due to supplement discipline for an incident in a game at Everett on Friday. . . . Kelowna F Filip Vasko took a boarding major on Saturday in a game against the visiting Victoria Royals. . . .
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A friend sent me a link to a QMI Agency story on Winnipeg Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien and his alleged impaired boating incident. Most of it has to do with the charges he faces, but there is a rather interesting paragraph near the end.
The story reads:
Byfuglien, who showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.031% in a breath test, was taken to a police water patrol headquarters where the drug recognition expert examined him further.
“Mr. Byfuglien stated that he had taken a muscle relaxer earlier that day, but that he could not remember the name of the muscle relaxer. Mr. Byfuglien stated that he takes a ‘handful’ of supplements from 16 or 17 different bottles every day and that he does not know the names of the supplements,” says the police statement, which the Winnipeg Sun obtained from the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District.
The complete story is right here, but 16 or 17 different bottles of supplements? Is this where we have gotten to from wherever it was that we were?

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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Taking Note on Twitter