Wheaties take out defending champs . . . Pats, Rockets complete sweeps . . . Big night in P.G.

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

In Edmonton, F John Quenneville scored at 8:58 of the second OT to give the Brandon Wheat Kings a 3-2 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . Brandon won the series, 4-1. . . . The Oil Kings are the defending Memorial Cup champions. They also had won three straight Eastern Conference playoff titles. . . . The Wheat Kings will meet the Regina Pats in the second round. That series will begin April 10 and 11 in Brandon. . . . Quenneville, who is from Edmonton, won it with his third goal of the series. . . . Brandon F Tim McGauley opened the scoring at 14:10 of the first period, on a PP. . . . The Oil Kings tied it on a goal from F Ben Carroll, at 10:05 of the second, and took the lead when F Brett Pollock scored at 12:55, on a PP. . . . Brandon D Eric Roy scored at 5:01 of the third period and that’s the goal that forced OT. . . . Wheat Kings G Jordan Papirny was terrific in making 42 saves, 18 more than Edmonton’s Tristan Jarry. . . . Brandon was 1-for-1 on the PP; Edmonton was 1-for-6. . . . When the Oil Kings look back at this game, this will point a finger at a PP unit that failed to scored during 3:12 of 5-on-3 play. . . . McGauley’s goal was Brandon’s sixth PP score in the five games. . . . The Wheat Kings were without F Morgan Klimchuk for a second straight game. . . . Klimchuk and D Ryan Pilon, whose ice-time was limited in Game 4 and the first half of Game 5, can use the time off. . . . F Mads Eller returned to Edmonton’s lineup after a one-game absence, and D Blake Orban, who left in the third period of Game 4 after taking a puck to the face, also played. Orban needed eight stitches to repair the damage. . . . Attendance was 4,253. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun has a game story right here.

In Swift Current, G Daniel Wapple stopped 24 shots and F Adam Brooks had two goals as the Regina Pats beat the Broncos, 4-0. . . . The Pats won the series 4-0 and will play the Brandon Wheat Kings in the second round. . . . This will be Regina’s first trip to the second round since the spring of 2007. . . . The last time Regina swept a playoff series? In 1998, the Pats swept the Moose Jaw Warriors from a first-round series. . . . The shutout was Wapple’s first this season and his first career playoff shutout. . . . Brooks scored the game’s first goal, shorthanded, at 11:53 of the second period. . . . He also had a shorthanded score in Game 3. . . . Brooks added his second goal at 15:16 of the second for a 2-0 lead. . . . F Patrick D’Amico had a goal and an assist for the Pats. . . . Broncos G Landon Bow stopped 37 shots. . . . Regina was 1-for-4 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-for-3. . . . Swift Current D Dillon Heatherington was back in action. He took the warmup for Game 3 on Tuesday but illness prevented him from playing, even though he stayed on the bench. . . . The Broncos were without F Jake DeBrusk, who likely has a concussion after taking a hit from Regina D James Hilsendager in Game 3. Hilsendager, who wasn’t penalized, was hit with a TBD suspension yesterday, so didn’t play in Game 4. . . . Attendance was 2,523.

In Cranbrook, F Connor Rankin scored three times before the second period was 13 minutes old and the Calgary Hitmen went on to a 7-2 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Hitmen lead the series 3-1 and get their first opportunity to end it at home on Friday. The game will be televised by Shaw. . . . Rankin opened the scoring 1:12 into the first period with his second goal of the series. His second goal, at 3:49 of the second, gave Calgary a 3-1 lead. He completed the hat trick with a PP goal at 12:56 of the second, as Calgary took a 5-1 lead. . . . F Adam Tambellini, who scored three times, including in OT, in Game 3, had an assist on each of Rankin’s goals. Tambellini also scored his fifth goal of the series, this one an empty-netter. In the four games to date, he has nine points. . . . Calgary F Jake Virtanen had two assists, while D Travis Sanheim had a goal and an assist. . . . Calgary G Brendan Burke stopped 28 shots in going the distance. In each of Calgary’s first two victories, head coach Mark French had changed goaltenders in mid-stream. . . . Ice G Wyatt Hoflin turned aside 34 shots. . . . Calgary was 1-for-6 on the PP; the Ice was 0-for-5. . . . F Jon Martin and F Zak Zborosky were among the Ice’s scratches. . . . D Jake Bean remains out of Calgary’s lineup. . . . Attendance was 2,147, an increase of 21 from Game 3.

In Red Deer, G Rylan Toth stopped 34 shots to lead the Rebels to a 2-1 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Medicine Hat holds a 2-1 lead in the series. They’ll play Game 4 tonight in Red Deer. . . . Game 5 is scheduled for Medicine Hat on Saturday. . . . The teams have combined for seven goals in three games. . . . Last night, the Rebels scored the game’s first two goals. . . . F Scott Feser opened the scoring at 12:10 of the first period. . . . F Wyatt Johnson upped the lead to 2-0 at 8:34 of the third. . . . The Tigers got a goal from F Cole Sanford at 11:53, but weren’t able to pull even. . . . Tigers G Marek Langhamer stopped 29 shots. . . . Medicine Hat was 0-for-4 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-for-2. . . . Bob Ridley, the long-time radio voice of the Tigers, called his 401st playoff game last night. That includes 20 Memorial Cup games. . . . Attendance was 5,371.

In Spokane, F Jake Mykitiuk scored in the second OT to give the Everett Silvertips a 2-1 victory over the Chiefs. . . . The Silvertips now lead the series, 2-1. They’ll play Friday in Spokane and Saturday in Everett. . . . Mykitiuk, who scored four goals in 40 regular-season games, finished off a 3-on-2 break to win it at 2:07 of the second OT. . . . The Chiefs drew first blood when F Adam Helewka scored his third goal of the series at 14:19 of the first period. . . . Everett F Brayden Low forced OT with a goal 52 seconds into the third period. . . . Everett G Carter Hart stopped 45 shots, nine more than Spokane’s Garret Hughson. . . . Each team was 0-for-4 on the PP. . . . The Silvertips were without D Ben Betker, who suffered an undisclosed injury in Game 2. But they did get back D Tristen Pfeifer, who hadn’t played since Feb. 27 because of an undisclosed injury. . . . Attendance was 3,624. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald has a game story right here.

In Kennewick, Wash., F Gage Quinney scored on Kelowna’s 71st shot to give the Rockets a 5-4 victory in OT over the Tri-City Americans. . . . The Rockets won the series, 4-0, and now await the winner of a series between the Victoria Royals and Prince George Cougars. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 66 shots. . . . “We expect nothing less (from Comrie),” Kelowna D Madison Bowey told Doyle Potenteau of the Kelowna Daily Courier. “He stood on his head for most of the series and he always gives his team
a chance to win, and he did just that. Kudos to him for hanging in there
and playing every 60 minutes to the fullest and to his best ability. He’s
a great goalie, for sure.” . . . Quinney’s first goal of the series came at 18:32 of the first OT period. . . . The Americans led 2-0 and 4-1 in this one. . . . The Rockets tied it on two goals by Bowey, at 18:13 of the second period, on a PP, and 37 seconds into the third period, and one from F Rourke Chartier, at 18:49 of the second. . . . That was Chartier’s second goal of the game and fourth of the series. . . . Bowey’s second goal tied the game 4-4. . . . Kelowna was 1-for-7 on the PP; Tri-City was 0-for-5. . . . The Rockets held a 15-0 edge in shots halfway through the first period. . . . D Dylan Coghlan scored the game’s first goal on Tri-City’s first shot, at 11:28 of the first period. . . . D Riley Stadel and F Nick Merkley each had two assists for Kelowna. . . . Coghlan and F Tyler Sandhu each had a goal and two assists for the Americans, with F Brian Williams adding two assists. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle was gone after surrendering four goals on 19 shots. He left at 17:57 of the second after F Beau McCue’s shorthanded goal gave the home side a 4-1 lead. . . . Michael Herringer relieved Whistle and stopped all 11 shots he faced. . . . Comrie, 19, is likely to be assigned by the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets to the AHL’s St. John’s IceCaps. . . . Kelowna F Chance Braid and Tri-City F Max James were tossed for fighting just four seconds into the first period. Chances are there will be suspensions from that situation. . . . The Americans scratched F Justin Gutierrez. He may be concussed after taking a hit to the head from Kelowna F Tyson Baillie during the first period of Game 3 on Tuesday. The hit went unpenalized. . . . Attendance was 2,819.

In Prince George, the Cougars scored the game’s first three goals and went on to a 4-2 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . Victoria leads the series, 2-1. . . . They’ll play Game 4 in Prince George tonight. Game 5 is scheduled for Victoria on Saturday night. . . . This was the first playoff game in Prince George since the spring of 2011. It was the Cougars’ first playoff victory since 2007 when they got to the Western Conference final. . . . F Chase Witala opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal at 13:23 of the first period. . . . F Jari Erricson, on the PP, and D Sam Ruopp added goals in the first half of the second. . . . The Royals got to within one before the period ended on a PP goal by F Tyler Soy, at 13:22, and F Logan Fisher’s goal at 14:06. . . . Prince George F Brad Morrison provided insurance with a goal at 6:06 of the third. . . . Ruopp and Erricson each had an assist. . . . Each team was 1-for-4 on the PP. . . . Cougars G Ty Edmonds stopped 22 shots, 16 fewer than Victoria G Coleman Vollrath. . . .  Attendance was 4,202.
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A scoring change means that Kootenay F Tim Bozon didn’t tie an Ice single-game playoff record on Tuesday night. Originally, Bozon was credited with six points, including two goals, in the Ice’s 8-7 OT loss to the visiting Calgary Hitmen. That would have tied F Jaedon Descheneau’s franchise record set a year ago. However, a scoring change on the Ice’s seventh goal resulted in Bozon losing an assist. Ironically, the assist was given to Descheneau.
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#OilKings file off the ice for last time this season after heartbreaking double OT loss pic.twitter.com/nMNVPD69w5
— Brian Swane (@SunBrianSwane) April 2, 2015

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WHL teams going outside for coaches . . . Hockey dead at TRU? . . . Mykitiuk back in WHL

F Codey Burki (Brandon, 2002-07) has been loaned by Olten (Switzerland, NL B) to Fribourg-Gottéron (Switzerland, NL A) through Dec. 23. Burki, who has dual Canadian-Swiss citizenship, had 17 points, including four goals, in 19 games with Olten this season. . . .
F Roman Tvrdon (Spokane, 1999-2001) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Guildford Flames (England, Premier). Last season, with Považská Bystrica (Slovakia, 1. Liga), he had a goal and four assists in nine games; he also had 12 goals and nine assists in 21 games with Oświęcim (Poland, Ekstraliga). . . .
There was an interesting game in Gävle, Sweden, between home team Brynäs and Linköping in the SHL on Thursday night. Shots on goal in the first period were 24-0 for Linköping. The score was 0-0. . . .  Linköping went on to win 2-1 in a shootout. Final shots on goal were 51-20 for Linköping. . . . F Greg Scott (Seattle, 2005-09) scored for Brynäs with 1:22 left to send the game to OT. . . . Columnist Stisse Åberg, writing  in Gefle Dagblad, the local Gävle newspaper: "I was close, very close, to losing interest entirely . . . for the game. Why should I care -- when Brynäs decides to spend a troubled half hour in their own zone."
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THE COACHING GAME:

When the Vancouver Giants introduced Claude Noel as the fifth head coach in franchise history on Monday, it marked the 12th coaching change in the WHL since the end of last season.
In only two instances did the team in question promote an assistant coach to head coach.
The Giants, in fact, have gone outside their organization for their last two head coaches as they work to find a replacement for Don Hay, their head coach for the previous 10 seasons. Troy Ward lasted 25 games; the Noel era begins tonight against the visiting Portland Winterhawks.
Hay, of course, was let out of his contract with a year remaining on it, and he returned to Kamloops as the Blazers’ head coach. The Blazers twice overlooked associate coach Mark Ferner -- they brought Guy Charron down from the front office to replace Dave Hunchak when the latter disappeared in January; then they brought Hay back as head coach. Those moves may or may not have had anything to do with Ferner’s decision to leave the Blazers earlier this season and return to the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers as general manager and head coach.
The Calgary Hitmen (Mark French), Moose Jaw Warriors (Tim Hunter), Portland (Jamie Kompon), Prince Albert Raiders (Marc Habscheid), Regina Pats (John Paddock), Saskatoon Blades (Bob Woods) and Tri-City Americans (Mike Williamson) all reached outside their organizations when making a move to a new head coach.
Only the Edmonton Oil Kings and Kelowna Rockets chose to promote from within.
The Oil Kings, the defending Memorial Cup champions, lost head coach Derek Laxdal to the Texas Stars, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars. Edmonton promptly moved associate coach Steve Hamilton into the head coach’s office. Hamilton, whose father, Al, played for the original Oil Kings, had spent four seasons as Laxdal’s lead assistant.
In Kelowna, the Rockets had to replace Ryan Huska, who now is the head coach of the Adirondack Flames, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames. Huska was the Rockets’ head coach for seven seasons; Lambert, a former Swift Current Broncos defenceman, rode shotgun for five of those seasons.
“When I hired Dan Lambert, I wanted him to learn how to be a head coach,” Bruce Hamilton, the Rockets’ owner and general manager, told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. “We wouldn’t let other teams have access to him because we were paying him to learn to be our head coach.”
Each of the last three times Hamilton has had to find a new head coach, he has promoted from within. When Habscheid left after 2003-04, it was Jeff Truitt’s turn to move up. When Truitt left, Huska was given his opportunity.
And now it’s Lambert’s turn.
Considering the success that the Rockets have had, you are free to wonder why other WHL teams don’t use that same strategy. Or are they trying to and just not having the same success?
At a glance, there are eight WHL head coaches who have worked in the league as assistant coaches. Four of those are Kelly McCrimmon (Brandon), Ryan McGill (Edmonton Ice), Hay and Williamson, each of whom was an assistant back in the day. The other four are Dave Lowry (Victoria), who was an assistant with the Hitmen for three seasons (2005-08); Shaun Clouston, who was an assistant in Medicine Hat for six seasons and moved up when Willie Desjardins left after 2009-10; Steve Hamilton and Lambert.
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By the way, Daniel Nugent-Bowman’s complete story on Bruce Hamilton and the way he operates the Kelowna Rockets is right here.
Interestingly, Hamilton takes the blame for the way the Rockets flamed out in the playoffs last spring.
What happened?
Hamilton makes no bones about the fact that he wants “good guys” on his roster. But . . .
“Last year we made a fatal mistake,” Hamilton admitted to Nugent-Bowman. “We brought in (Marek) Tvrdon thinking he was going to jump-start us. He jump-started us the wrong way.
“That’s all on my shoulders. He wasn’t a good enough guy to be the difference in games.”
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Ken Dryden was the late Jean Beliveau’s last roommate; Beliveau was Dryden’s first. . . . Right here, Dryden remembers “a very nice man.”
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Roy MacGregor, Canada’s greatest essayist at this point in time, gets to the essence of the late Jean Beliveau in a wonderful piece from The Globe and Mail. That essay is right here and it’s more than worth your time.
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Chris Daniels of King 5 News in Seattle reported Thursday night that Washington state regulators “have expanded their investigation into the (WHL) and its member franchises over possible violations of child labour laws.” . . . The WHL has four franchises in Washington -- the Everett Silvertips, Seattle Thunderbirds, Spokane Chiefs and Tri-City Americans -- and they are the subject of this investigation. . . . Daniels’ report is right here.
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Trevor Bast, who has spent the last while working in the hopes of re-establishing a hockey program with Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, reports that the door has been closed.
On Thursday afternoon, Bast took part in a conference call with Dr. Alan Shaver, TRU’s president, Matt Vilovick, the school’s vice-president finance/administration, and athletic director Ken Olynyk.
“By the end of the call,” Bast told Taking Note, “I was advised TRU will not support the revival of the men’s hockey team.”
Bast said the TRU officials “cited recent bad history with hockey, poor academic performance and behaviour with non-varsity club teams in general . . . as well as a lack of desire to support hockey financially and clerically, among other things.”
TRU killed the hockey program prior to this season, citing the team’s financial situation, among other things. The team wasn’t a varsity team, but rather was operated by a non-profit society. At the end, it was around $50,000 in debt.
“Athletic director Ken Olynyk did state by email at one point a concern we were going to take away sponsorship that is currently directed to TRU athletics,” Bast said. “I suppose you can't blame him as we were gaining momentum and folks in Kamloops do like hockey.”
Bast admitted that “the front door to re-entry to the BCIHL has been slammed shut.”
But the Victoria resident, whose son was to have played on the Wolfpack this season, isn’t about to give up.
“We now will turn our time and energy away from the TRU athletic department and explore other ways of entering the BCIHL,” he said. “Collegiate hockey in Kamloops can work and the BCIHL is a league worth fighting to be in. As well, the BCIHL is a league that deserves to exist and thrive.
“At this time, if there is anyone out there who can help this cause financially as a sponsor or a donor, please don’t wait for me to find you.”
If you are interested, feel free to email Bast at trevorbast@gmail.com.
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According to Regan Bartel, the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets, F Rourke Chartier has reached 30 goals quicker than any player in franchise history. F Brett McLean (1997-98) got there in his 30th game. Chartier reached 30 on Wednesday night, in his 28th game. . . .
The Kelowna Rockets and Saskatoon Blades have been fined $250 apiece for the battling goaltenders during their Wednesday night game. Kelowna’s Jake Morrissey and Nik Amundrud of the visiting Blades scrapped at centre ice during the third period of the Rockets’ 5-1 victory. . . .
G Jared Rathjen, 20, who was placed on waivers by the Prince George Cougars earlier this week, has rejoined the AJHL’s Whitecourt Wolverines. He was 6-4-1/2.99/.916 with the Wolverines in 2012-13. . . . A native of Prince George, he got into three games with the Cougars before getting caught up in the 20-year-old numbers game. . . . He also has played with the Vancouver Giants and Victoria Royals, and was in camp prior to this season with the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . .
The Everett Silvertips have added F Jake Mykitiuk, 19, to their roster. He spent last season and the first part of this season in the AJHL, after spending two seasons with the Prince George Cougars. In 126 WHL games, he put up 22 points, including seven goals. . . . This season, with the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints, he had 23 points, 10 of them goals, in 31 games. . . . Mykitiuk proves Everett with some depth up front, especially with F Dawson Leedahl (knee) and F Logan Aasman (undisclosed) on the shelf. . . .
The Moose Jaw Warriors are preparing to play three games in Alberta in fewer than 48 hours this weekend. Once again, the Warriors are having to juggle their defence due to injuries. Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has more right here.
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3 journos who cover CHL teams told me over past few months their editors have told them not to cover labour issue b/c of biz ties with clubs
— rick westhead (@rwesthead) December 4, 2014

Raiders 200 short of goal . . . Pats are Steeling for new season

F Jaroslav Svoboda (Kootenay, 1998-2000) signed a one-month contract with Red Ice Martigny (Switzerland, NL B) as an injury replacement. Last season, with Chomutov (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had eight goals and four assists in 25 games. . . .
F David Turoň (Portland, 2002-03) has been released by Havířov (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). Last season, with Meran/Merano (Italy, Inter-National-League), he had 22 points, 12 of them goals, in 25 games. He also had two goals and seven assists in 16 games with Fassa (Italy, Serie A). . . .
F Colton Yellow Horn (Lethbridge, Tri-City, 2003-08) has signed a one-year contract with Nippon Paper Cranes Kushiro (Japan, Asia HL). Last season, with Székesfehérvár (Hungary, Erste Bank Liga), he had 43 points, including 20 goals, in 43 games.
D Vladimír Sičák (Medicine Hat, 1998-2000) has signed a one-year contract with Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic, Extraliga). Last season, with Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had three goals and eight assists in 40 games. The contract includes a clause that Sičák can exercise in December and January to move to another club outside of Czech Republic.
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The Prince Albert Raiders are hoping to sell at least 200 more season tickets between now and their regular-season opener. General manager Bruno Campese tells Darryl Mills of the Prince Albert Daily Herald: “At the moment, we’re at about 1,500. We need to be at 1,700.” . . . Campese wonders if tickets sales have been hurt by summer chatter involving the future of F Leon Draisaitl and D Josh Morrissey. . . . Mills’ story is right here.
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F Sam Steel was the second overall selection in the 2013 bantam draft. That means, of course, that he couldn’t play regularly with the Regina Pats last season, so now is preparing for his freshman season. As Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reports right here, Steel is off to a great start with seven points in two games. Yes, it’s the exhibition season, but you're free to start with the nicknames.
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It appears that F Reid Duke’s camp did ask the Lethbridge Hurricanes to trade him when he chose not to report for the start of training camp. But, as Dale Woodard of the Lethbridge Herald reports right here, that didn’t happen and now Duke is back with the team and rarin’ to go.
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Portland freelancer Scott Sepich (@SSepich) tweeted Wednesday afternoon that “it appears that 20-year-olds Trace Elson and Trent Lofthouse have been removed from the Winterhawks preseason roster.” . . . He followed that up with: “Hawks decided to go younger with Evan Weinger and Jack Flaman up front, means they likely keep Josh Smith/Josh Hanson as 20s on back line.” . . . Elson and Lofthouse both are forwards with WHL experience. Elson, who doesn’t turn 20 until Nov. 25, played five games with the Red Deer Rebels in 2011-12 and 15 games with the Vancouver Giants last season. Lofthouse has split 148 regular-season games between the Everett Silvertips, Victoria Royals and Vancouver. He is the son of former WHLer Mark Lofthouse (New Westminster, 1974-77). . . . The Winterhawks are left with three 20s on their roster in F Adam De Champlain, D Josh Hanson and D Joshua Smith. Smith, from Lacombe, Alta., will turn 20 on Oct. 10. His WHL experience? He has played 93 games with the Prince George Cougars since 2009-10. He has 11 points, including one goal, in that time, but will bring some ruggedness to Portland’s back end.
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The Red Deer Rebels released D Kirk Bear on Wednesday. Bear, 19, is from Whitewood, Sask. He was pointless in 35 games as a freshman with the Rebels last season. . . . Bear is expected to join the SJHL’s Melville Millionaires. . . . The Rebels’ roster is down to 26 players. . . . Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate reports that veterans Kolton Dixon, 19, and Devan Fafard, 20, both of whom played defence last season, are trying to make the Rebels’ roster as forwards.
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The Vancouver Giants have released D Bobby Zinkan, 19, who has 102 regular-season WHL games on his resume, all of them with the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Zinkan, from Calgary, was a fourth-round pick in the 2010 bantam draft. . . . In 102 games with the Broncos, he had two goals and two assists. . . . On May 7, the Giants dealt F Luca Leone, 18, and a sixth-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft to the Broncos for Zinkan.
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The Tri-City Americans have released F Jake Mykitiuk, who turns 19 on Nov. 21, and he is expected to return to the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints. . . . The 5-foot-7, 160-pounder played two seasons (2011-13) with the Prince George Cougars, putting up 21 points, including seven goals, in 126 games. . . . F Dawson Leedahl of the Everett Silvertips will sit out two weekend games with a WHL-issued suspension. He took a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct against the Portland Winterhawks on Sunday. 
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Baseball broadcaster just used term, "concussion-like symptoms." Can't believe that terminology still exists.
— Mark Spector (@SportsnetSpec) September 3, 2014

Well, this is happening at Dodger Stadium #dodgers pic.twitter.com/fbWJkc8uX5
— Greg Merideth (@gregofla) September 3, 2014

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Two more veterans leave WHL . . . Ex-WHLer forced to stop playing

Jerrid Sauer has joined the Medicine Hat Tigers' coaching staff.
(Photo: Medicine Hat Tigers)

It may not be a problem, but it would seem to be a trend.
First, there was D Reid Gow, 20. Then, D Cole Wedman, 20, followed suit. On Sunday, it was D Jeremy McIntosh's turn.
And now F Geordie Maguire and F Aspen Sterzer have moved on.
Gow and McIntosh, 19, both cited a loss of passion in deciding not to return to the Spokane Chiefs. Wedman, who had been dealt by Spokane to Moose Jaw over the summer, has informed the Warriors that he won't report, choosing instead to attend the U of Alberta.
Now you can add Maguire and Sterzer to the list.
Maguire, 19, isn’t in camp with the Swift Current Broncos and apparently will be heading to school.
From Winnipeg, he began his WHL career in 2012-13, picking up nine points, including four goals, in 65 games with the Wheat Kings. The Everett Silvertips had selected Maguire in the fifth round of the 2010 bantam draft, then dealt him to Brandon for G Brandon Anderson, 20, and a fifth-round pick in the 2013 draft.
At the WHL’s 2013 bantam draft, the Wheat Kings dealt Maguire to Regina, along with a third-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft, in exchange for "draft day considerations."
At the 2013-14 trade deadline, the Pats traded Maguire to the Broncos for a sixth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. Maguire, who led the Manitoba midget AAA league in scoring in 2011-12, had 14 points, seven of them goals, in 27 games with Regina, and one goal in eight games with the Broncos.
Sterzer, meanwhile, has chosen not to report to the Red Deer Rebels for his 20-year-old season.
Greg Meachem, the Red Deer Advocate's sports editor, reports that Sterzer has told Brent Sutter, the Rebels' GM/head coach, that the passion is gone and that he plans on going to school.
“We’ll stay patient with it and see what happens," Sutter told Meachem, "but during my conversation with him he said he just didn’t feel he has the passion to play any more. He made that commitment to his family, to his mom and dad, that if he wasn’t at the pro level after his 19-year-old year that he would go to school.”
Sterzer played 174 regular-season WHL games, 144 of those with the Kamloops Blazers. He missed a lot of the 2012-13 season with health issues, including a brain injury. The Blazers traded him to the Rebels last season, giving up F Matt Bellerive and a third-round 2014 bantam pick. Sterzer had 21 points, 12 of them goals, in 30 games with Red Deer. Between the two teams, he had 53 points, including 29 goals, in 70 games.
“For us, it was disappointing. It caught us off guard,” Sutter added. “We didn’t expect it after our year-end exit meetings. He kept in contact with our coaches through the summer and was doing the conditioning stuff that was required of him.
“Then all of a sudden he changed his mind.”
Without Sterzer, the Rebels have three 20-year-olds on their roster -- D Brett Cote, who was acquired from the Victoria Royals for a second-round 2014 draft pick on May 1, D Devan Fafard and F Brooks Maxwell.
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Albin Blomqvist turned 21 on Jan. 8, so no longer is eligible to play in the WHL.
Not that he would be able to were he 20 years of age, because he has become another victim of brain injuries.
Blomqvist, from Osby, Sweden, played two seasons (2011-13) with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. In his first season, he had a goal and two assists in 38 games; the next season, he had three assists in 31 games.
Last season, he was limited to one game with Osby IK, a Division 2 club in Sweden.
As Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News reports, Blomqvist has had to retire, and he has written a letter to Hockeysverige.se.
“It’s a tough read and brings up a lot of important issues for the hockey world,” Kennedy writes right here.
Kennedy continues: “Translated into English, Blomqvist rails against a culture that pushes dreams more than reality. With his hockey career over and no chance at playing in the NHL, the defenceman also has come to the realization that his singular focus and lack of education may not have been the best idea.”
Blomqvist‘s brother, Axel, plays for the Victoria Royals and has signed with the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets.
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The OHL announced Wednesday that it has made more moves aimed at getting fighting out of the game.
What follows is from the OHL news release:
“The OHL will be augmenting the current staged fight rule whereby players receive an automatic game misconduct for a fight occurring immediately following the drop of the puck at the commencement of a period or game. Such rule has been expanded so as to include a fight that occurs immediately following any faceoff during the game. Should a staged fight occur, the player(s) involved shall each receive a game misconduct in addition to the major penalty and any other penalties assessed.
“If a player receives a third game misconduct during the season for a combination of any five-minute major and game misconduct penalties for checking to the head, checking from behind, boarding, kneeing and clipping, for which suspensions have not previously been applied, he shall receive an automatic one-game suspension. For each subsequent game misconduct, the suspension shall be increased accordingly.
“If a player receives a third minor penalty for instigating during the season, he shall receive an automatic one-game suspension. For each subsequent instigating minor penalty, the suspension shall be increased accordingly.
“The number of fighting majors that a player can receive in a game before a game misconduct is assessed shall be reduced from three to two.
“If a player receives a fourth minor penalty during the regular season in any one of the following categories, ie., checking from behind, checking to the head, kneeing, clipping or boarding, he shall receive a one-game suspension. For each subsequent minor penalty in any of the particular categories, the suspension shall be increased accordingly.
“Each OHL team shall have a threshold of three major penalties for fighting during each game. A disciplinary fine shall be assessed for each team exceeding such threshold.”
Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports Canada has more on the OHL changes right here.
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Alan Caldwell, over at Small Thoughts At Large, is in pre-training camp form in a big way. The other day, he took a look at the team-by-team 20-year-old situation. . . . Now he’s working on training camps, starting with rosters as they become available, and opening dates. Check it out right here; there also is a link over there on the right.
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F Jake Mykitiuk, who played two seasons (2011-13) with the Prince George Cougars, is going to camp with the Tri-City Americans. He had 21 points, including seven goals, in 126 games with the Cougars. Last season, the 5-foot-7, 160-pound Mykitiuk, who turns 19 on Nov. 21, split last season between the AJHL's Sherwood Park Crusaders and Spruce Grove Saints. He totalled 38 points, 16 of them goals, in 39 AJHL games.
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F Austin Calladine, who turns 19 on Dec. 21, is in camp with the Swift Current Broncos. A second-round pick by the Calgary Hitmen in the 2010 bantam draft, he has a goal and two assists in 37 regular-season games, 33 with the Hitmen in 2012-13. The Hitmen dealt him to the Saskatoon Blades for a conditional 2015 eighth-round bantam draft pick on Sept. 26. The Saskatoon native was pointless in three games with the Blades, then put up 34 points, 17 of them goals, in 46 games with the SJHL's Flin Flon Bombers.
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F Shane Danyluk won’t be back with the Prince Albert Raiders for a fifth season. Danyluk, 20, cleared WHL waivers on Wednesday. He expressed a desire to play in the BCHL for his hometown Salmon Arm SilverBacks. Danyluk was a second-round selection in the 2009 bantam draft. . . . Last season, he had 24 points, including seven goals, in 71 games. In 248 regular-season games, he put up 77 points, 25 of them goals. . . . Danyluk’s departure leaves the Raiders with five 20-year-olds on their roster -- F Calder Brooks, F Dakota Conroy, F Jayden Hart, D Sawyer Lange and F Carson Perreaux.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers have added Jerrid Sauer, 26, to their coaching staff. He will work as an assistant coach, alongside GM/head coach Shaun Clouston and assistant coach Joe Frazer. . . . Sauer, from Medicine Hat, played in the WHL with the Swift Current Broncos (2002-06) and the Tigers (2005-08). He then went on to the U of Calgary. . . . On the Tigers’ staff, he will replace Darren Kruger, who now is senior director, player development. . . . Sauer played for the Tigers in 2006-07 when they won the WHL championship.
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The Everett Silvertips go into the season under a bit more pressure than some other teams. That's because ownership has guaranteed its season-ticket holders at least a fourth-place finish in the 10-team Western Conference.
In February 2013, the Silvertips guaranteed season-ticket holders that they would finish at least sixth in the 10-team Western Conference or they would cough up $100 towards 2014-15 season tickets. Everett didn't have to pay up after finishing fourth.
At the same time, Everett management guaranteed at least a fourth-place finish in the conference in 2014-15. If the Silvertips don't get that high, season-ticket holders who renewed early will get a $100 credit towards 2015-16 tickets.
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Veteran F Trent Lofthouse, who turns 20 on Nov. 17, is in camp with the Portland Winterhawks. He also has played with the Everett Silvertips, Victoria Royals and Vancouver Giants. Last season, he started with Victoria, playing 11 games, and finished with the Giants. In 148 regular-season games, he has 38 points, including 25 goals. . . . As of now, Lofthouse is scrapping with F Adam De Champlain, F Trace Elson and D Josh Hanson for Portland’s three 20-year-old spots.
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The Central Hockey League’s Denver Cutthroats have suspended operations effective immediately. The franchise now is looking for additional investors and hopes to operate again in 2015-16. For now, all players who had signed with Denver are free agents.
The Central league also appears to have lost the Arizona Sundogs, and this could be permanent.
Brandon-based player agent Darryl Wolski tweeted Wednesday evening that the Sundogs “have ceased operations . . . players have been notified.”
That being the case, any players who have signed with the Sundogs now will be free agents.
Without Denver and Arizona, the Central league is down to seven teams. Shed a tear for F T.J. Fox. He played last season for the Cutthroats. On Friday, he signed with the Sundogs.
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Love the #OHL's additional penalties for fighting and dirty play. Players will eventually get the message #hockey
— Morris Dallacosta (@MoDaCoatLFPress) August 20, 2014

Mental illness costs Cdn economy $51B/year in direct treatment costs, lost productivity & quality of life. Early intervention is paramount!
— Wood's Homes (@ChildMntlHealth) August 21, 2014

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