Showing posts with label Jason Smith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jason Smith. Show all posts

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Hay: Cunningham 'special person' . . . Steinke checks on Tigers . . . Oil Kings end trip with win


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Don Hay’s face lights up and there’s a glint in his eyes when you ask him about his relationship with Craig Cunningham.
And then Hay’s face settles into something that reminds you of a father thinking of a son or a grandfather a grandson.
Cunningham played five seasons in the WHL, totalling 409 regular-season and playoff games, all but 56 of them with the Hay-coached Vancouver Giants.
Cunningham is in critical but stable condition in Banner University Medical Center in Tucson, Ariz.,
CRAIG CUNNINGHAM
although he has yet to regain consciousness after collapsing on the ice prior to an AHL game between the host Roadrunners and Manitoba Moose on Sept. 19.
Cunningham, 26, was the captain of the Roadrunners, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes. He had put up 13 points, including four goals, in 11 games.
The fact that he also captained the two other AHL teams on which he has played — the Springfield Falcons and Providence Bruins — tells you a lot about Cunningham’s character. Yes, he also captained Hay’s Giants.
“I had him since he was 15 at training camp,” Hay said. From Trail, B.C., Cunningham was a seventh-round pick by the Giants in the WHL’s 2005 bantam draft. Of course, he wasn’t eligible to play full-time in the WHL in 2005-06 and, according to Hay, wasn’t expected to play with the Giants the following season.
“At 16,” Hay said, “he wasn’t in our plans.”
Before training camp started, prior to the 2006-07 season, the Giants had three other 16-year-olds ahead of Cunningham — forwards Lance Bouma, Wacey Hamilton and James Wright. However, Hamilton, who is from Cochrane, Alta., wanted to play closer to home and subsequently was traded to the Medicine Hat Tigers.
“Craig was the next guy on the list,” Hay said. “He didn’t score as a 16-year-old (Cunningham managed five assists in 48 games), but he did everything right and he was such a coachable guy.
“At 19, he was one of our top scorers. At 20, he was our captain.”
In his 19-year-old season, Cunningham finished with 97 points, 37 of them goals, and was the Western
Don Hay (left) coached the Vancouver Giants while
Craig Cunningham played there.
(Photo: Vancouver Giants)
Conference’s nominee as the WHL’s player of the year.
Hay calls those 16-year-olds “a special bunch.”
The Giants won 45 regular-season games in 2006-07, with that special bunch. They lost the WHL championship in seven games to the Medicine Hat Tigers, but went on to win the Memorial Cup as the host team.
Over the following three seasons, Vancouver won 49, 57 and 41 regular-season games. Although another title eluded them, they played in 43 playoff games through those three seasons.
“When we were able to win,” Hay said, “all they knew was winning and they knew how hard they had to work to win.”
On Dec. 28, 2010, the Giants dealt the 20-year-old Cunningham to the Portland Winterhawks for forwards Spencer Bennett and Teal Burns, a 2011 first-round draft pick and a second-rounder in 2012. (The Giants used that first-rounder on F Thomas Foster; they took F Jesse Roach with the 2012 pick.)
In the spring of 2011, the Winterhawks lost in the WHL’s championship final. It was the first of their four straight appearances in the final.
“It’s why Portland wanted (Cunningham),” Hay said. “He taught guys like (Nic) Petan how to win.”
Hay has kept in touch with Cunningham, talking to him “over the summers.”
The veteran coach said he was “shocked” when he heard that Cunningham had collapsed and been taken to hospital.
“It’s different when you have feeling for someone,” Hay said. “I know his life and how hard he has had to work to get to where he is.
“He is just a special person.”

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The Kelowna Rockets dressed only 16 skaters, including 10 forwards, on Saturday night when they beat the visiting Regina Pats, 3-2 in overtime. The Rockets scratched two injured players — F Riley Stadel,
who is out with an undisclosed injury, and D Gordie Ballhorn, who is believed to have injured a hand in a fight with F Jack Walker of the Victoria Royals earlier this month. Also scratched were F Jake Kryski, F Jack Cowell and F Conner Bruggen-Cate.
I am told that Kelowna head coach Jason Smith was asked after Saturday’s game if the players who weren’t dressed all were injured and he chose not to comment, other than to say it was a hockey decision.
Kryski, 18, now has missed three straight games — he last played on Nov. 18 in a 5-3 victory over the visiting Vancouver Giants — but wasn’t listed as being injured on the WHL’s Nov. 22 roster report. He sat out a doubleheader in Victoria as the Rockets beat the Royals 5-1 on Nov. 20 and then lost 6-2 on Nov. 22.
Kryski had 14 points, including five goals, in 20 games. In his last eight games, he had two goals and five assists.
Kryski was selected 13th overall by the Prince Albert Raiders in the WHL’s 2013 bantam draft. He was traded to the Kamloops Blazers and they moved him to the Rockets 
The Rockets acquired him from the Kamloops Blazers on Aug. 18, giving up D Joe Gatenby, D Danny Gatenby — yes, they are brothers — and a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2019 bantam draft.
When I inquired Sunday night about Kryski’s status, a Rockets official replied with: “No comment.”
Kelowna next is scheduled to play Wednesday when it is to visit the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash.
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While many observers were watching the Everett Silvertips, Prince George Cougars and Regina Pats dance around at the top of the WHL standings, the Medicine Hat Tigers skated past them all. . . . Yes, the Tigers are atop the 22-team WHL’s overall standings, which is what can happen when a team goes on a nine-game winning streak. . . . The Tigers ran that streak to nine with an 8-2 victory over the host Saskatoon Blades on Saturday night. . . . Darren Steinke has more on the Tigers and their success right here.
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Meanwhile, the Prince George Cougars are in their third season under new ownership and, yes, things are going pretty well. Ted Clarke of the Prince George Citizen talks with Greg Pocock, the franchise’s president, about what has gone right. And, as Clarke points out, you can’t discount the drafting done by former general manager Dallas Thompson. That’s all right here.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:


At Cranbrook, B.C., F Lane Bauer broke a 2-2 tie at 15:47 of the second period and the Edmonton Oil Kings went on to post a 5-3 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Both teams had played Saturday night and
LANE BAUER
this game started at 4 p.m. The Oil Kings were coming off a 6-5 victory over the Chiefs in Spokane, while the Ice lost 4-3 to the visiting Swift Current Broncos. . . . Edmonton (12-13-2) has won two in a row to finish off a stretch of seven road games in seven days. The Oil Kings won four of those games. . . . The Ice (5-16-6) has lost three straight. . . . Kootenay F Zak Zborosky became the WHL’s third 20-goal man when he scored on a PP at 6:30 of the first period. . . . Edmonton took the lead on goals from F Colton Kehler (7) at 8:11 and F Kobe Mohr (5) at 10:15. . . . Kootenay D Cale Fleury (6) tied it at 13:53 of the second period. . . . Bauer then scored two straight PP goals, giving him 16. He broke the tie at 15:47 of the second and added insurance at 8:01 of the third period. . . . Oil Kings F Tyler Robertson (9), who had two assists, added insurance with another PP goal at 11:12. . . . Ice D Fedor Rudakov (3) closed out the scoring at 18:48. . . . Edmonton D Aaron Irving had two assists, while Mohr added one to his goal. . . . Zborosky also had an assist for the Ice. Zborosky, F Michael Rasmussen of the Tri-City Americans and F Tyler Steenbergen of the Swift Current Broncos are tied for the WHL goal-scoring lead, each with 20 scores. . . . Edmonton G Josh Dechaine stopped 36 shots to earn his first victory in his first WHL start. An 18-year-old from St. Albert, Alta., he had been with the SJHL’s La Ronge Ice Wolves  until joining the Oil Kings a couple of weeks ago after G Liam Hughes went down with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Ice got 34 saves from G Payton Lee. . . . The Oil Kings were 3-8 on the PP; the Ice was 1-5. . . . Ice D Troy Murray left with a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct for a hit on Edmonton F Artyom Baltruk at 11:46 of the third period. . . . Announced attendance: 1,499, the smallest crowd in Cranbrook this season.
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At Portland, freshman F Brad Ginnell, who has some WHL in his blood, broke a 3-3 tie at 13:54 of the third period and the Winterhawks went on to a 6-3 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . This was
BRAD GINNELL
an afternoon game, with a 2 o’clock faceoff. The Cougars had played Saturday night, losing 3-0 to the host Everett Silvertips, while the Winterhawks enjoyed a night off. . . . Portland (13-12-1) now has points in six straight (5-0-1). . . . The Cougars (18-6-2) have lost two in a row. . . . The late Pat (Patty) Ginnell, the legendary coach, was Brad’s grandfather. Brad’s father, Erin, scouts for the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights and played in the WHL with the New Westminster Bruins, Calgary Wranglers, Seattle Thunderbirds, Regina Pats and Swift Current Broncos (1985-87). . . . Brad was a fifth-round pick by Portland in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . Ginnell’s second goal of the season was his first game-winner. . . . Portland F Joachim Blichfeld (9) opened the scoring at 8:21 of the first period, only to have Prince George D Brendan Guhle (4) tie it on a PP at 13:35. . . . The Winterhawks then took a 3-1 lead as D Henri Jokiharju (2) scored at 6:09 of the second period and F Cody Glass got his 13th, on a PP, at 12:15. . . . F Colby McAuley (11) followed with two goals, at 15:50 of the second and 11:54 of the third. . . . After Ginnell snapped the tie, F Brendan De Jong (5) added insurance at 14:40 and D Keoni Texeira (7) got the empty-netter, at 18:27. . . . Portland got two assists from F Jake Gricius, while Jokiharju added an assist to his goal. . . . F Aaron Boyd had two assists for the Cougars. . . . The Winterhawks got 39 saves from G Cole Kehler, while Nick McBride turned aside 27 for the Cougars. . . . The Winterhawks were 1-3 on the PP; the Cougars were 1-5. . . . D Sam Ruopp of the Cougars, who is their captain, served the final game of an eight-game suspension. . . . Announced attendance: 3,164.
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MONDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

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

Prince Albert at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Prince George at Vancouver, 7 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 8:47 PM
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Sunday, October 16, 2016

Scattershooting on a Sunday evening . . . Patrick, Bean on the shelf . . . Popugaev leads Warriors

Scattershoot

 It’s a quiet Sunday night, and we’re scattershooting while watching the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs chase baseball glory, the Indianapolis Colts chasing the Houston Texans, and the Carolina Hurricanes hanging on against the Vancouver Canucks. . . . 
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You can bet that NHL scouts are keeping a close eye on the Brandon Wheat Kings’ roster. That’s because F Nolan Patrick, the consensus No. 1 pick in the 2017 NHL draft, has missed his club’s last two games. There has been talk that he was ill or that he was being given maintenance days. It seems, however, that his absence is related to the sports hernia surgery he had in July. . . . Whatever it is, here’s hoping that he’s back soon — and healthy — because the WHL can’t afford to have its best players on the shelf.
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It’s great to see F Tyler Benson healthy — fingers crossed, knock on wood and all that — and producing for the Vancouver Giants. He’s got eight points, including five goals, in his last four games and the Giants have won four in a row with the Saskatoon Blades in Langley on Wednesday. The Blades have points in each of their past five games (4-0-1).
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That brings us to the Calgary Hitmen, who were without D Jake Bean on Sunday afternoon when they lost 4-3 in OT to the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors. It seems that Bean suffered an undisclosed upper-body injury during a 7-2 loss to the Tigers in Medicine Hat on Friday night. Calgary is saying that Bean will be out week-to-week.
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The Kelowna Rockets are 3-7-0 and have lost three in a row, including two straight — to East Division teams — at home. What’s up with that? “Obviously disappointing,” head coach Jason Smith told Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier after a 5-1 loss to the Swift Current Broncos on Saturday night. “We take penalty after penalty, and it takes away from any momentum we’re creating. We’re continuously making the same mistakes. We’ve got to take the steps to end it and get better. You’d think, at this point, we’d learn a lesson.” . . . The Rockets have scored five PP goals, while giving up 19 of them.
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It doesn’t get any easier for the Rockets because Kevin Constantine and the Everett Silvertips are in Kelowna on Wednesday night. If you haven’t noticed, the Silvertips are 8-1-1 in the early going. Oh, they also have won four in a row, three of those on the road.
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The Rockets’ start apparently has caused president and general manager Bruce Hamilton’s hair to go prematurely silver. Oh, wait . . . 
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The Seattle Thunderbirds, who beat the Rockets in last season’s Western Conference final, have slipped into last place in the WHL’s overall standings, at 2-4-1. Without F Mathew Barzal and with F Ryan Gropp just back in town and F Keegan Koleser on the shelf after some surgery, the Thunderbirds are still sorting out their roles. They have only scored 16 goals in seven games, but you can bet they are missing the two graduated defencemen — Jared Hauf and Jerret Smith — in a big way, too.
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If you’re keeping track, F Mathew Barzal, who is eligible to return to the Thunderbirds, wasn’t in the New York Islanders’ lineup for their home-opener against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday. He has dressed for one of the Islanders’ first three games. . . . The Islanders won 3-2 in OT in front of a whole lot of empty seats at the Barclays Center.
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The QMJHL has a decision on its hands after the headshot that is viewable in the above tweet. That’s D Zachary Malatesta, 20, of the Moncton Wildcats hitting F Pascal Laberge, 18, of the Victoriaville Tigres. Laberge was a second-round pick by the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL’s 2016 draft.
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If you’re Mike Johnston, the general manager and head coach of the Portland Winterhawks, you have to be pretty pleased these days. You’re 8-3-0 and your six-game East Division trip is over. Your team, which was supposed to struggle to score, also has bagged 50 goals. Oh, and G Cole Kehler, who was a confidence-deflating 4-18-2 with Kamloops, is 6-1-0, 2.57, .913.
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There will be an interesting matchup on Tuesday as the Swift Current Broncos, fresh off a 5-1 victory over the host Kelowna Rockets, meet the Cougars in Prince George. The Cougars (10-2-0) have followed two straight losses, both at home to the Everett Silvertips, with a pair of road victories. The Broncos (7-2-1) are 4-0-1 on the road. 
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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SUNDAY’S GAME:


At Calgary, F Nikita Popugaev scored three times, including the OT winner, as the Moose Jaw
NIKITA POPUGAEV
Warriors beat the Hitmen, 4-3. . . . Popugaev, who has seven goals this season, won it at 1:35 of extra time. . . . The Hitmen overcame a 3-1 deficit on goals from F Tyler Mrkonjic, shorthanded, at 16:50 of the second period and D Aaron Hyman, at 11:28 of the third period. . . . The Hitmen (3-3-1) have lost three in a row (0-2-1). . . . Calgary held a 10-0 edge in third-period shots, but the Warriors had the only two shots in OT. . . . Warriors F Jayden Halbgewachs scored his ninth goal and added an assist. He has 14 points in 10 games after finishing last season, his second, with 41 points, including 15 goals, in 69 games. . . . Moose Jaw G Zach Sawchenko, who is from Calgary, stopped 27 shots. . . . Calgary G Kyle Dumba made 15 saves. . . . Moose Jaw (5-2-2) was 1-6 on the PP; Calgary was 0-4. . . . The Warriors have won each of the last five meetings between these teams. . . . A Russian sophomore, Popugaev has 14 points in 10 games. Last season, he totalled 16 goals and 31 assists in 70 games. This was his first three-goal game. . . . Announced attendance: 5,153.
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MONDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Moose Jaw at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 9:21 PM
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Sunday, September 18, 2016

Doing some scattershooting . . . Giants say season-ticket sales are up . . . Wheaties, Oil Kings trim rosters

Scattershoot
We’re scattershooting as the WHL approaches the start of its 51st regular season . . . 
1. Will the Everett Silvertips qualify for the playoffs for a 14th straight season? They have made it in each of their first 13 seasons in the WHL.
2. Will Everett head coach Kevin Constantine get a new contract before this season is over? He is the only head coach to get the Silvertips out of the opening round.
3. F Nick Henry of the Regina Pats was the MJHL’s rookie of the year with his hometown Portage Terriers last season. He chose to join the Pats, rather than go the NCAA route, and then lit up the preseason with five goals and six assists in eight games. Will he be able to continue that pace in the real games?
4. It will be interesting to watch Regina GM/head coach John Paddock’s game plan unfold. It’s based on reaching the 2018 Memorial Cup, a tournament the Pats should get to play in as the host team. It will be the trophy’s 100th anniversary and the Pats’ 100th season. Paddock landed Henry, 17, and F Bryan Lockner, 16, who also was thought to be NCAA-bound. Is F Tyson Jost, 18, paying close attention as he begins his freshman season at the U of North Dakota? The Colorado Avalanche selected Jost with the 10th overall pick in the NHL’s 2016 draft. The Pats acquired his rights in a deal with Everett.
5. Brandon F Nolan Patrick was the WHL’s playoff MVP as the Wheat Kings won the Ed Chynoweth Cup last spring. But he was injured in the Eastern Conference final and needed surgery in July to repair a sports hernia. Seen as the consensus No. 1 pick in the NHL’s 2017 draft, he returned to full practice last week but has yet to play in a game. It will be interesting to see how he progresses once he gets back in the lineup.
6. F Matt Phillips of the Victoria Royals is the WHL’s most exciting player. Last season, he put up 76 points, including 37 goals, in 72 games. It is going to be fun watching the 5-foot-6, 140-pound whirling dervish in his sophomore season.
7. Peter Anholt, the GM of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, was thrilled when he was able to acquire D Brennan Menell from the Vancouver Giants the other day. Menell put up 53 points, 46 of them assists, in 69 games with a struggling Vancouver team last season. What will he do with the Hurricanes, a team that has some firepower up front?
8. A year ago, the Hurricanes were coming off a 20-44-8 season. Last season, with Anholt in charge and newcomer Brent Kisio running the bench, they were the WHL’s surprise team, finishing at 46-24-2. How will they do this season when they won’t be able to surprise the other teams?
9. F Tyler Benson of the Vancouver Giants was able to play in only 30 games last season and he wasn’t near 100 per cent for some of those appearances. It would be great to be able to watch him at his best, or at least close to it, this season. When healthy, he is one of the WHL’s top skaters. Unfortunately, he’s already nursing a shoulder injury.
10. When Jason Smith was a defenceman with the Regina Pats (1991-93), he was one of the WHL’s toughest players. You didn’t want to go into a corner and engage in a 1-on-1 puck battle with him. You didn’t want to stand in front of Regina’s net when he was on the ice. Today, he’s the head coach of the Kelowna Rockets. Smith, who turns 43 on Nov. 2, has never been a head coach at any level of hockey. The WHL game has changed a whole lot since he played in the league and it’s going to be interesting watching him learn.
11. F Aleksi Heponiemi, a freshman from Finland, led the WHL in assists (10) and points (15) in six exhibition games. He’s 5-foot-10 and 140 pounds and should be a whole lot of fun to watch this season.
12. It’s supposed to be a rebuilding/reloading season for the Portland Winterhawks, isn’t it? But they came out of the exhibition season with a 5-0-1 mark, the only one of the 22 teams not to suffer a regulation-time loss. Yes, it’s only the preseason but is GM/head coach Mike Johnston already working his magic in what is his second go-round?
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Bob McGill, a longtime WHL scout, has died at the age of 71. McGill, who lived in Sherwood Park, Alta., was the father of Ryan McGill, a former WHL player and coach, who now is the head coach of
Bob McGill receives a WHL Distinguished Service Award
from commissioner Ron Robison in March.
(Edmonton Oil Kings photo)
the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack.
Bob McGill was presented with a WHL Distinguished Service Award in March prior to a game between the host Edmonton Oil Kings and the Red Deer Rebels.
McGill scouted for various WHL teams for more than 25 years.
He worked for the Lethbridge Hurricanes, Medicine Hat Tigers, Kelowna Rockets, Vancouver Giants and the Oil Kings.
During his 10 seasons with the Rockets, they won two WHL titles and made three Memorial Cup appearances, winning it all as the host team in 2004.
He joined the Oil Kings for their inaugural season (2007-08) and was with them through 2014 when they won the Ed Chynoweth Cup and the Memorial Cup. He retired after that season, going out on top.
He had played for the original Oil Kings before joining the Edmonton Fire Department, where he would spend 30 years.
McGill, known by all as Gilly, was extremely popular on the coaching circuit and among his peers.
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The Regina Pats went 3-3-1 in the exhibition season and will open the real season on Friday against the visiting Prince Albert Raiders. Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reports that F Luc Smith (charleyhorse) and D Lane Zablocki (shoulder), who didn’t play in a 6-4 loss to the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings on Saturday, should be ready, but D Brady Pouteau (ankle) isn’t expected to be back. . . . Regina got down to two goaltenders by dropping Kurtis Chapman from their roster. He is expected to report to the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins. Chapman, 18, is from Airdrie, Alta. He was a seventh-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. His departure leaves the Pats with Tyler Brown, 19, and Jordan Hollett, 17, as their goaltenders. Brown got into 50 games last season (21-19-6, 3.15, .909), while Hollett made 23 appearances (10-6-1, 3.67, .887).
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The Vancouver Giants are preparing for their first season in the Langley Events Centre after moving over from the Pacific Coliseum. Peter Toigo, the Giants’ vice-president, operations, has told Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province that the team may limit tickets sales to “about 4,500” per game, at least in the early going. The LEC has a listed hockey capacity of 5,276, which includes 700 standing room. The Giants may not sell standing room. According to Ewen, Toigo told him that the Giants want to make sure they have the fan experience nailed down. They want make sure the building and staff can handle the crowd. . . . Toigo also told Ewen that season-ticket sales are up for the first time since 2006-07, although he wasn’t able to supply an exact figure.
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F Tyler Benson of the Vancouver Giants skated with the Edmonton Oilers’ prospects in Penticton, B.C., on Sunday, but he did it while in a non-contact sweater. Benson suffered a shoulder injury a week earlier in a WHL exhibition game, so didn’t play in the Oilers’ first two games at the YoungStars Classic in Penticton. He isn’t expected to play in their final game in the tournament against the Winnipeg Jets on Monday, either. . . . “Just a tweak, a day-to-day thing,” Benson told Robert Tychowski of the Edmonton Sun. “They’re just trying to take precautions to make sure nothing gets worse.” . . . Benson, a second-round pick by the Oilers in the 2016 NHL draft, was limited to 30 games with the Giants last season thanks to surgery to remove a cyst from his lower back area, then groin and lower core injuries. . . . “That’s all cleared up,” he told Tychowski. “I’ve had no issues with that for a while now. . . . I’m all good now.”
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The Brandon Wheat Kings dropped D Ty Ettinger, 16, and G Hunter Arps, 17, from their roster. . . . Ettinger is expected to join the midget AAA Sherwood Park Kings. From Androssan, Alta., Ettinger was a fifth-round selection on the 2015 bantam draft. . . . Arps may return to the midget AAA Moose Jaw Generals, although he may yet end up with the SJHL’s Melfort Mustangs. Arps, from Pleasantdale, Sask., was a fifth-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . Arps’ departure leaves the Wheat Kings with two goaltenders — veterans Jordan Papirny 20, and Logan Thompson, 19, both of whom were there last season.
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The Edmonton Oil Kings got their roster down to 24 players, including three goaltenders and 14 forwards, by trimming four players on Sunday. . . . F Brian Harris, 17, is expected to join the MJHL’s Swan Valley Stampeders. He was an 11th-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . F Scott Atkinson, 16, was a fifth-round pick in the 2015 draft. He is returning to the major midget Greater Vancouver Canadians. . . . D Travis Verveda, who turns 19 on Nov. 6, is returning to the AJHL’s Okotoks Oilers. He has played 32 games with the Kamloops Blazers over the past two seasons. . . . D Jayden Platz, 16, is expected to return to the Northern Alberta X-Treme of the Canada Sport School Hockey League. He was a second-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft.
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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SUNDAY-THURSDAY GAMES:

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

Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Kelowna at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.
Brandon at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Regina, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Everett at Vancouver, 7:30 p.m.

Prince George at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:15 PM
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Monday, November 17, 2014

A look at Lorne Frey . . . Still hope for WolfPack . . . Constantine pays for early exit



Lorne Frey of the Kelowna Rockets may have the longest title in the WHL -- assistant general manager, head scout and director of player personnel. Besides being one of the good guys, he has an eagle eye for talent. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet has a video look at Frey right here. It’s good, and it’s 5:34 in length.
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F Tyler Nanne, an 18-year-old from Edina, Minn., has signed a national letter of intent with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Nanne, whose WHL rights belong to the Vancouver Giants, is expected to begin playing there next season. This season, he is with the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede. A fifth-round selection by the New York Rangers in the NHL’s 2014 draft, he is a grandson to former NHL executive and player Lou Nanne.
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F Colt Conrad, whose WHL rights belong to the Brandon Wheat Kings, has signed a national letter of intent with the Western Michigan University Broncos. . . . Conrad, 17, is attending Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault, Minn. He is from St. Alphonse, Man. . . . Conrad was selected by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the third round of the WHL’s 2012 bantam draft. On Nov. 16, his rights were dealt to Brandon. The Hurricanes sent D Ryan Pilon and Conrad to the Wheat Kings for D Nick Walters, F Taylor Cooper and D Tanner Browne. Should Conrad end up with Brandon, the Hurricanes would get a fifth-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft.
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Mario Forgione, a former owner of the OHL’s Mississauga IceDogs, says CHL teams are making money on the backs of teenagers, who aren’t getting back nearly what they should. . . . “Fortunately,” offers CHL commissioner David Branch, he’s no longer an owner in our league. . . .” Rick Westhead of tsn.ca has that story right here.
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Trevor Bast, who heads up a group hoping to revive hockey at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, and Cam Weir, a WolfPack player, met with athletic director Ken Olynyk on Monday.
According to Bast, “The meeting . . . went great.”
While Bast didn’t get approval to restart the program that was axed prior to the start of this season, it seems that his proposal will move on to the next level.
That means waiting until after Dec. 2 when “the other decision-maker,” as he put it, returns from a business trip to China.
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JUST NOTES:

Kevin Constantine, the head coach of the Everett Silvertips, has been fined $500 for talking his way out of Sunday’s 7-1 loss to the Winterhawks in Portland during the first period. . . . He is the second WHL head coach to be fined this season. Steve Konowalchuk of the Seattle Thunderbirds paid $750 for post-game comments concerning the officiating after a 2-1 loss in Everett on Oct. 25. . . .
F Sam Reinhart of the Kootenay Ice has 160 career regular-season assists, two shy of the franchise record held by F Jarret Stoll (1998-2002). . . . The Ice is at home to the Medicine Hat Tigers on Wednesday.
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THE COACHING GAME:

The MJHL’s OCN Blizzard has made a coaching change, with Jason Smith having replaced Clay Debray. . . . According to a news release, Debray resigned effective Nov. 13, with Smith, who had been the assistant coach, taking over for the remainder of this season. . . . The Blizzard, which plays out of The Pas, has a 10-13-1 record, good for seventh place in the 11-team league. . . .
The AJHL's Calgary Mustangs hired Chad Allen as their head coach earlier this month, replacing Derek Stuart, who was fired and has since returned to the Okotoks Oilers as an assistant coach. . . . The Mustangs are 7-18-1 and last in the eight-team South Division. . . . Stuart was in his second season as their head coach. He spent three seasons with Okotoks before signing with the Mustangs.
Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:39 PM
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