Tiebreaker Tuesday belongs to Raiders

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Jaroslav Vlach (Prince George, 2009-11) had his club option picked up by Liberec (Czech Republic, Extraliga) for next season. This season, Vlach had seven points, four of them goals, in 36 games with Liberec. While on loan to Benatky nad Jizerou (Czech Republic, 1. Liga), he had six points, including three goals, in nine games.
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F Tim Bozon of the Kootenay Ice continues to make progress as he battles Neisseria meningitis in Saskatoon’s Royal University Hospital.
Bozon, who is to turn 20 on Monday, has been in hospital since March 1. His parents, Helene and Philippe, have been with him since arriving from their home in Switzerland on March 2.
While there has been no official news this week, someone familiar with the situation told me that “Tim is improving each and every day” and that there are “lots of positives of late.”
The WHL has established a trust fund to help Tim and his family with medical and rehabilitation costs. You are able to contribute at any BMO Bank of Montreal in Western Canada. . . . Should you live outside of that area, please mail donations to:
Western Hockey League
c/o Tim Bozon
Father David Bauer Arena
2424 University Drive NW
Calgary AB
T2N 3Y9
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The Regina Pats are expected to be fined by the WHL office after they ran a closed practice earlier this week. As Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reports in today’s paper, closing practices is in violation of the league’s media policy that states all regular-season and playoff “practice sessions and game-day skates” must be open to the media. . . . “We’ve clarified that with them and we’ll take the appropriate action,” WHL commissioner Ron Robison told Harder. Robison also said that “in all likelihood there will be a fine” to the Pats. “They’re entitled to close to the general public but not media. (Restricted public access) is pretty common, especially at this time of year.”
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Harder also reported that the Pats may be without F Dyson Stevenson, their leading scorer, when they open a first-round series against the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings on Saturday night. Stevenson has a broken hand and, according to Harder, his “status depends on whether he’s cleared to use a playing cast.” . . . D Kyle Burroughs, the team captain, is expected to play in Game 1, while D Colby Williams is day-to-day. G Daniel Wapple (sprained ankle) may not be ready.
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D Brett Kulak of the Vancouver Giants has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s Calgary Flames. Kulak, from Stony Plain, Alta., was a fourth-round selection in the NHL’s 2012 bantam draft. . . . This season, he put up 60 points, including 14 goals, in 69 games. In his third WHL season, he had career highs in goals, assists and points. . . .
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The Saskatoon Blades just completed one of the most futile seasons in the franchise’s history. Of course, it was somewhat predictable after they sold the farm, the village and the rural municipality in an attempt to win the Memorial Cup on home ice last season. . . . But what of general manager Lorne Molleken and head coach Dave Struch? Molleken has two years left on his contract; Struch’s contract is up in a few months. . . . Majority owner Mike Priestner says there will be meetings on Friday and decisions may be made from there. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has more right here.
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Les Lazaruk, the long-time play-by-play voice of the Saskatoon Blades, is of the opinion that the Blades’ new owners should keep head coach David Struch. Lazaruk explains his thinking right here.
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General manager Brad Robson of the Lethbridge Hurricanes has told Dylan Purcell of the Lethbridge Herald that head coach Drake Berehowsky and assistant coach Mike Craig will be back for 2014-15. Both just completed their first seasons as the Hurricanes missed the playoffs for a fifth straight season. Robson, a long-time scout and assistant GM, also completed his first season as GM. He said his future is up the team’s board of directors. . . . That story is right here.
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Chances are that when the San Jose Sharks’ season comes to an end, whenever that may be, head coach Todd McLellan won’t be putting money on the line when he’s on the golf course with his son, Cale, 14. . . . Earlier this week, Cale scored back-to-back aces while playing a tournament on a 913-yard short course. . . . The evidence is right here.
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F Spencer Bast, a list player, has signed with the Kamloops Blazers. Bast, who turned 17 on Jan. 5, is in his second season with the midget AAA Battlefords Stars. He was second in this season’s scoring race with 68 points, 31 of them goals, in 44 games. . . . From Macklin, Sask., Bast is leading the Saskatchewan Midget AAA league’s playoff scoring race with 15 points, seven of them goals, in six games. The Stars are 6-0 in the playoffs and have advanced to the championship final. They will meet the Regina Pat Canadians or Notre Dame Argos, who are to meet tonight in Game 5 of a best-of-five semifinal.
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There’s another Helgesen in the WHL. . . . D Tyson Helgesen, 16, has joined the Spokane Chiefs from the AJHL’s Whitecourt Wolverines, whose season is over. Helgesen was a fifth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. He had five assists in 55 games with Whitecourt this season. . . . Tyson’s older brother, Kenton, plays for the Calgary Hitmen.
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G Travis Child has joined the Swift Current Broncos. He was a second-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft. Child, who will turn 17 on June 13, is from Killam, Alta. He played this season with the midget AAA Sherwood Park, Alta., Kings. . . . The WHL’s bantam draft lottery is scheduled to be held this morning at the league’s office in Calgary. The Lethbridge Hurricanes, Kamloops Blazers, Saskatoon Blades, Moose Jaw Warriors, Prince George Cougars and Red Deer Rebels will be taking part. They are the non-playoff teams. . . . D Jesse Forsberg, who completed his WHL eligibility with the Moose Jaw Warriors this season, has signed an ATO with the ECHL’s Colorado Eagles. . . . Former Brandon Wheat Kings captain Ken Schneider has stepped down after four seasons as head coach of the midget AAA Wheat Kings. According to a tweet from the midget AAA team’s account, it had a .724 winning percentage under Schneider’s guidance.
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TUESDAY’S TIEBREAKER:
In Red Deer, they called it Tiebreaker Tuesday. It just as easily could have been Heartbreaker Tuesday. . . . The Prince Albert Raiders scored three third-period goals to erase a 3-2 deficit and beat the Rebels 5-3 in a game that decided the Eastern Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot. . . . The two teams had finished the regular season in a tie for eighth place. . . . The Raiders now will meet the Edmonton Oil Kings, the conference’s No. 1 seed, in the first round. That series will open in Edmonton on Saturday afternoon. . . . F Jayden Hart gave the Raiders a 1-0 lead at 7:08 of the first period, with Red Deer equalizing at 11:52 on a goal by F Wyatt Johnson. . . . Hart also had two assists. . . . F Evan Polei gave Red Deer the lead at 7:43 of the second period, only to have Prince Albert F Reid Gardiner tie it at 11:1. . . . Red Deer F Rhyse Dieno gave his side the lead on a PP at 13:57. . . . The Raiders then took the lead again, this time with two quick goals early in the third period. F Collin Valcourt, a Red Deer native who was celebrating his 21st birthday, scored at 2:21, on the PP, and F Dakota Conroy broke the tie at 4:43. . . . Raiders F Leon Draisaitl drew assists on the tying and winning goals. . . . Raiders D Josh Morrissey iced it with an empty-netter at 19:45. . . . Raiders G Nick McBride stopped 27 shots, while Red Deer’s Patrik Bartosak turned aside 42. . . . This was the fifth tiebreaker in WHL history and the first one to be decided by more than one goal. . . . The Rebels had forced the tiebreaker with a 5-0 victory in Edmonton on Sunday. The Oil Kings scratched a number of veteran players from that game, something that no doubt will provide the Raiders with at least some motivation. . . . Prince Albert’s roster includes five players from Edmonton and surrounding area.
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THE FIRST ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE





EDMONTON (1) vs. PRINCE ALBERT (8)
Season series: Edmonton, 2-1-1; Prince Albert, 2-2-0.
Saturday: Prince Albert at Edmonton, 1:30 p.m.
Sunday: Prince Albert at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
Tuesday: Edmonton at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, March 26: Edmonton at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday, March 29: Prince Albert at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday, March 30: Edmonton at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 1: Prince Albert at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: F Brandon Baddock, 3-5 weeks; D Blake Orban, indefinite.
Prince Albert: D Graeme Craig, indefinite.
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REGINA (2) vs. BRANDON (7)
Season series: Brandon, 5-3-0; Regina, 3-3-2.
Saturday: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
Sunday: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, March 26: Regina at Brandon, 7 p.m.
Friday, March 28: Regina at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
x-Saturday, March 29: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
x-Monday, March 31: Regina vs. Brandon, site TBA, 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 2: Brandon at Regina, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Brandon: None.
Regina: D Kyle Burroughs, day-to-day; D Tye Hand, indefinite; G Daniel Wapple, indefinite; D Colby Williams, day-to-day; F Dyson Stevenson, day-to-day.
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CALGARY (3) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
Season series: Calgary, 4-4-0; Kootenay, 4-2-2.
Thursday: Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Saturday: Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Monday: Calgary at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Tuesday: Calgary at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
x-Thursday, March 27: Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday, March 29: Calgary at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
x-Monday, March 31: Kootenay at Calgary, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Calgary: F Cal Babych, day-to-day; F Radel Fazleev, day-to-day; F Connor Rankin, day-to-day.
Kootenay: F Tim Bozon, indefinite; F Ryan Chynoweth, indefinite; D Landon Cross, 1 week; D Tanner Faith, 3-5 months; D Landon Peel, 1 week.
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MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. SWIFT CURRENT (5)
Season series: Medicine Hat, 2-2-0; Swift Current, 2-2-0.
Friday: Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday: Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday: Medicine Hat at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, March 26: Medicine Hat at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
x-Saturday, March 29: Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
x-Sunday, March 30: Medicine Hat at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 1: Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Medicine Hat: F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
Swift Current: None.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE





KELOWNA (1) vs. TRI-CITY (8)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-4-0; Regina, 0-3-1.
Saturday: Tri-City at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Sunday: Tri-City at Kelowna, 5:05 p.m.
Tuesday: Kelowna at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday, March 26: Kelowna at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
x-Friday, March 28: Tri-City at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
x-Saturday, March 29: Kelowna at Tri-City, 7:05 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 1: Tri-City at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
(NOTE: Tri-City plays home games in Kennewick, Wash.)
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Tyson Baillie, 1-2 weeks; D Jesse Lees, indefinite.
Tri-City: F Phil Tot, day-to-day; F Taylor Vickerman, indefinite.
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PORTLAND (2) vs. VANCOUVER (7)
Season series: Portland, 4-0-0; Vancouver, 0-3-1.
Friday: Vancouver at Portland, 7 p.m.
Saturday: Vancouver at Portland, 7 p.m.
Tuesday: Portland at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, March 26: Portland at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
x-Friday, March 28: Vancouver at Portland, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday, March 30: Portland at Vancouver, 2 p.m.
x-Tuesday, April 1: Vancouver at Portland, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Portland: F Adam de Champlain, day-to-day.
Vancouver: F Tyler Benson, indefinite; G Jared Rathjen, day-to-day; F Jakob Stukel, indefinite; D Dalton Thrower, indefinite; F Cain Franson, day-to-day.
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VICTORIA (3) vs. SPOKANE (6)
Season series: Victoria, 1-3-0; Spokane, 3-1-0.
Saturday: Spokane at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
Sunday: Spokane at Victoria, 5:05 p.m.
Wednesday, March 26: Victoria at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Thursday, March 27: Victoria at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
x-Saturday, March 29: Spokane at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
x-Monday, March 30: Victoria at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 2: Spokane at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
INJURIES
Victoria: None.
Spokane: F Jacob Cardiff, day-to-day; D Colton Bobyk, week-to-week; F Adam Hascic, day-to-day; F Blair Oneschuk, week-to-week.
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SEATTLE (4) vs. EVERETT (5)
Season series: Seattle, 5-4-1; Everett, 5-4-1.
Saturday: Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
Sunday: Seattle at Everett, 4:05 p.m.
Tuesday: Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
Friday, March 28: Seattle at Everett, 7:35 p.m.
x-Saturday, March 29: Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
x-Monday, March 31: Seattle at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
x-Wednesday, April 2: Everett at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.
(NOTE: Seattle plays home games in Kent, Wash.)
INJURIES
Seattle: F Connor Honey, indefinite.
Everett: F Kohl Baum, indefinite.
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From the Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings): “Dear @PARaidersHockey, congratulations on your most important victory. We look forward to competing with you in the upcoming hockey matches.”
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From Edmonton Journal sports columnist John MacKinnon (@rjmackinnon): “Well, #PARaiders beating Red Deer #Rebels makes #EdmOilKings benching half their lineup on Sunday a moot point, obviously. #Whew #WHL”

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Americans clinch West's last playoff spot with loser point

It’s your lucky day because if you click right here you will find the best essay you will read this week . . . this month . . . maybe this year. Written by Bryan Curtis at grantland.com, it’s all about the legendary Dan Jenkins. . . . At one point, Jenkins, referring to Tiger Woods, tells Curtis: “He is a hell of a talent. He just happens to be an asshole.”
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F Tyler Benson, the first overall selection in the WHL’s 2013 bantam draft, joined the Vancouver Giants last week and was to play with them for the remainder of the season. However, it appears his season is over. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports that Benson was on crutches Tuesday and had a brace on his left leg. He won’t need surgery, but Benson’s season is over. . . . Ewen’s report is right here.
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IF THE PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY:
Eastern Conference
Edmonton (1) vs. Red Deer/Prince Albert (8)
Regina (2) vs. Brandon (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
Medicine Hat (4) vs. Kootenay (5)
(NOTE: Prince Albert and Red Deer are tied for eighth, each with 71 points. Each has three games left. A tie for a conference‘s final playoff spot will result in a tiebreaker game.)
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Western Conference
Kelowna (1) vs. Tri-City (8)
Portland (2) vs. Vancouver (7)
Victoria (3) vs. Everett (6)
Seattle (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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WEDNESDAY’S WHL GAMES (all times local):
Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
Kootenay at Red Deer, 7 p.m.
Prince Albert at Regina, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Kelowna at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Victoria at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Everett at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon, the Wheat Kings got goals from eight players as they dumped the Saskatoon Blades, 8-5. . . . Brandon D Ryan Pulock scored his 22nd goal and added two assists, while F Richard Nejezchleb got his 31st goal and also had two helpers. . . . The Wheat Kings broke open a 1-1 game with four straight goals. . . . F Nikita Scherbak and D MacKenzie Johnston each had two assists for the Blades, while F Chase Clayton scored his 10th goal and added an assist. . . . The Wheat Kings were without F Jayce Hawryluk, their leading scorer, who is serving a WHL suspension and won’t play again in the regular season. . . . Also missing was F Peter Quenneville. . . . F Nolan Patrick, the fourth overall pick in the 2013 bantam draft, played for Brandon. He was pointless but finished plus-2. . . . The Wheat Kings (32-29-9) moved into seventh in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Red Deer Rebels and Prince Albert Raiders. . . . The Blades (16-48-5) have lost nine in a row. . . .

In Calgary, F Brady Brassart drew three assists as the Hitmen dumped the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 5-3. . . . Calgary F Adam Tambellini scored his 17th goal and added an assist, while F Jake Virtanen notched his 43rd goal. . . . F Riley Sheen scored twice for Lethbridge, giving him 18 goals. . . . Virtanen broke a 2-2 tie 7:56 of the second period, with D Kenton Helgeson scoring his 10th goal at 17:55. . . . Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner, the 17th overall pick in the 2013 WHL bantam draft, stopped 39 shots in his first WHL start. . . . Calgary (46-17-7) is tied with the Edmonton Oil Kings for first place in the Eastern Conference. . . . Lethbridge (12-53-5) has lost 12 straight. . . .

In Edmonton, G Tristan Jarry stopped 20 shots to help the Oil Kings to a 1-0 victory over the short-staffed Kootenay Ice. . . . The Ice dressed 16 skaters, two under the maximum. . . . Among the Kootenay scratches were D Landon Cross and D Landon Peel. . . . Jarry, who leads the WHL with 42 victories, has eight shutouts this season and 14 in his career. . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski turned aside 29 shots. . . . Edmonton F Henrik Samuelsson scored the game’s lone goal, his 33rd, just 15 seconds into the second period. . . . Edmonton D Cody Corbett picked up his 125th career assist, tying him with Mark Pysyk (2007-12) for the franchise record. . . . The Oil Kings (48-18-3) are tied with Calgary atop the Eastern Conference. Edmonton has the edge in victories (48-46), which is the first tiebreaker, and a game in hand. That game will be played tonight in Medicine Hat. . . . The Ice (39-26-4) is fifth in the conference, six points behind Medicine Hat and three in front of the Swift Current Broncos. . . .

In Moose Jaw, D Jesse Forsberg, F Jack Rodewald and F Tanner Eberle each scored twice to carry the Warriors to a 6-3 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Forsberg’s second goal, his 10th this season, came on a PP and broke a 3-3 tie at 2:05 of the third period. . . . Eberle then scored twice, the second one shorthanded and into an empty net. He’s got 22 goals. . . . Rodewald has 27 goals. . . . Raiders F Leon Draisaitl scored his 36th goal and also had an assist. . . . Warriors F Brayden Point drew three assists. . . . The Warriors (21-40-9) have won four in a row. . . . The Raiders (33-31-5) had a four-game winning streak snapped. They are tied with Red Deer for the Eastern Conference’s last playoff berth. . . .

In Portland, the Tri-City Americans lost 3-2 in OT to the Winterhawks, but the visitors were celebrating as the loser point allowed them to clinch the Western Conference’s final playoff spot. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic won it with his 38th goal just 30 seconds into OT. . . . Portland D Mathew Dumba forced OT with his sixth goal at 11:07 of the third period. . . . F Parker Bowles scored twice for the Americans, giving him 13. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 46 shots as he set the franchise‘s single-season record for most saves. . . . Portland G Brendan Burke turned side 18 shots in his first appearance since Feb. 10. He had been out with mononucleosis. . . . F Beau McCue had two assists for Tri-City. . . . Portland has won four in a row, while the Americans have lost four straight. . . . The loser point that went to the Americans was enough to eliminate the idle Prince George Cougars, who now are five points behind with just two games remaining. . . . Portland (51-13-5) will be the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed and will meet the No. 7 Vancouver Giants in the first round. . . . The No. 8 Americans (28-32-9) will open against the No. 1 Kelowna Rockets. . . .

In Kelowna, the Victoria Royals scored two third-period goals and beat the Rockets, 3-2. . . . D Ryan Gagnon tied the game 2-2 with his second goal of the season at 5:04. . . . Victoria F Axel Blomqvist -- was there a better addition via trade this season than this guy? -- scored his 24th goal at 16:40 to win it. . . . Victoria G Patrick Polivka kicked out 34 shots, one more than Kelowna’s Jordon Cooke. . . . Kelowna F Tanner Wishnowski scored his first goal at 2:18 of the first period. Wishnowski, who is from Oakbank, Man., turned 17 on Jan. 28 and was playing his first WHL game. He played this season with the major midget Kelowna-based Okanagan Rockets. . . . Victoria F Brandon Magee tied it with his 25th at 16:23 of the first period. . . . Kelowna F Cole Linaker scored his 11th goal, shorthanded, at 16:45 of the second. . . . The Royals have won six in a row. . . . The Rockets have lost just four home games this season, but three of those have come against the Royals. . . . Victoria penalty-killers were 35-for-35 as the Royals won the season series, 5-2-1. . . . The Royals (48-17-4) have 100 points for the first time in franchise history. They will finish third in the Western Conference. . . . The Rockets (54-11-4) lead the Western Conference by five points over Portland. Each team has three games left. . . .

In Kent, Wash., the Spokane Chiefs scored the game’s last three goals and beat the host Seattle Thunderbirds, 6-4. . . . F Hudson Elynuik tied the game 4-4 with his third goal of the season, via the PP, at 15:51 of the second period. . . . F Mike Aviani got his 37th at 14:34 of the third and F Connor Chartier added an empty-netter, his 13th goal of the season, at 18:37. . . . The Chiefs have won three in a row. . . . Aviani scored twice. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg, the WHL scoring leader, had one assist. . . . Seattle won the season series, 7-1-0. . . . The Chiefs (39-24-6) are fifth in the Western Conference, two points behind Seattle (40-23-6).
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From Roger Shannon (@rogershannon): “Moncton Wildcats send well wishes and prayers to Kootenay Ice Forward Tim Bozon who is fighting for his life in his battle with Meningitis.”
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From Helene Barbier Bozon (@Helene Bozon), Tim Bozon’s mother: “RIP Terry Trafford. Sad.”


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1. Dr. Ann McKee doesn't particularly like it, but she has become the pubic face of the ongoing research into brain injuries in sports.
Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News takes an intriguing look right here at Dr. McKee, who admits that, through it all, she remains a fan of the Green Bay Packers.
"You live in conflict," McKee said. "I have a little easier time watching the NFL than college or high school. I used to go to the high school games and now I have trouble with it. The NFL players get big rewards from it. I feel at least the NFL has made big changes to help their safety. And they're adults -- they can make good decisions."
McKee also points out that her work has nothing to do with trying to destroy football or any other sport.
"This isn't about football, this is about people," McKee told Solomon. "This is a story about people who played sports and had a really bad outcome. I don't ever think in my head 'bad football.' It's more, 'Listen to what's happening and let's try to change this.' "
She also told Solomon: "I love sports, OK? But I think we really need to take it on ourselves to not be so crazy about sports, not to risk someone's future just because we think they might be the next star."
She is correct.

2. The fallout from Jumbogate continued Friday.
Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province, who posted a lewd comment made by Thornton following a game-day skate on Thursday, doesn’t seem to be getting much support, unless it's from friends and co-workers.
Kevin Allen of USA Today said on Sportsnet that he had spoken with "many" sports reporters and there wasn't much, if any, support for Botchford's decision. "It's almost universal that no one would have reported it," Allen said.
Allen, a highly respected hockey writer who will be presented with the Lester Patrick Award for outstanding service to hockey in the United States on Dec. 2, admitted that he was "just  stunned" by Botchford's decision.
"That happens all the time . . . guys make comments, they interject their thoughts in the middle of interviews, it's usually humour-based," Allen said. "We all hear it. We all ignore it. It's kind of an implied off the record."
Allen said he wouldn't even have considered using the comment, adding that had he chosen to he would have been fired within 20 minutes.
"To me," Allen added, "the reporter, I would say, went rogue. He went outside of what I would say is acceptable practice."
A number of years ago I was the president of the Western Major Junior Hockey Writers Association and we were working to get the WHL to allow us access to dressing rooms. 0ne day, I met  with media relations, public relations and marketing officials in a Vancouver hotel, and attempted to state our case as to why newspaper reporters needed that access.
At the end of the day, the team reps were fearful of exactly what happened with Botchford and Thornton, and the teams were even more concerned because reporters who cover major junior hockey are dealing mostly with teenagers. Those teenagers, the school of thought was, might easily say something without realizing the consequences.
In the end, the issue of dressing room access was left up to individual teams, although the WHL does have rules about player availability. In Kamloops, for example, I haven't set foot in the Blazers dressing room in a number of years.
And now there are rumblings that NHL players may ask for time limits when reporters are on their turf.
Aaron Ward, a former NHLer who now is a studio analyst with TSN, posted three tweets on Friday morning. Here they are, having been combined:
"Bottom line on SJ lockeroom quote. Having been on both sides, this is a media/player relationship-killer. Sets it back now bc players could believe they have lost established comfort level with media on what is in fact NEWS. Told by players they may ask to put reporters back on the clock and when availability is up, they will be asked to leave. Not good for a game we are all still trying to grow."
And then there is Jack Todd, a columnist whose work appears in the Montreal Gazette. Todd tweeted: "Thanks to the moron who made Joe Thornton’s comments public, we may never get a good quote out of a hockey locker room again."

3. Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail writes that fighting in hockey has to go. As he points out, the designated fighters aren't needed to police a game that already has police, as in on-ice officials, to do just that. That column is right here.

4. Ted Clarke of the Prince George Citizen has an interesting story right here that explores the link between Major League Baseball's playoffs and the 2009 World Baseball Challenge, the terrific baseball tournament whose home is in Prince George. This is neat stuff.

5. Sheldon Kennedy, who continues to do such terrific work, took his message about child abuse and how to deal with it to Penn State this week. There is more right here.

6. Donald E. Miller Jr. is a dead man. How does he know that? A judge told him so. Yes, Miller was in front of a judge this week. That judge told Miller that, as far as the law is concerned, he is deceased. Check out the story right here.




F Devin Oakes, who was released by the Kamloops Blazers earlier this week, has joined the BCHL's Merritt Centennials. Oakes, 18, is from Prince Rupert, B.C. He was pointless in two games with the Blazers this season. . . .
D Jesse Forsberg, who was dealt by the Seattle Thunderbirds to Moose Jaw this week, didn't play for the Warriors in Brandon on Friday night. According to James Gallo of the Warriors, Forsberg has a hip-pointer. . . . Prior to that game in Brandon, Andy Neal of Shaw TV tweeted: "Last Friday's W for Brandon was Kelly McCrimmon's 334th career victory behind the bench, moves past Willie Desjardins for 18th most all-time." . . . The Wheat Kings won 3-2 in a shootout last night. . . . Brandon D Ryan Pulock was back after a one-game injury-related absence. . . . Moose Jaw F Todd Fiddler was a healthy scratch. . . . The host Kelowna Rockets and Seattle Thunderbirds went to OT for the seventh time in the last 12 meetings between the teams last night. Seattle won this one, 4-3. . . .
F Boston Leier is loving life in Regina. He scored three times last night — it was the 20-year-old's first WHL hat trick — as the Pats dropped the Vancouver Giants 5-4 in OT. Leier, who was acquired from the Medicine Hat Tigers on Oct. 2, has five goals and an assist in his last two games. . . . The Giants have lost seven in a row. According to Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post, the Giants are without five injured forwards. . . .
The Red Deer Rebels may have lost F Vukie Mpofu to injury in the third period of a 4-3 OT victory over the visiting Prince Albert Raiders last night. According to Red Deer Advocate sports editor Greg Meachem, Mpofu left "after being taken into the boards by the Raiders’ Mackenze Stewart, and didn’t return." Stewart was hit with a boarding major and game misconduct and may be looking at a suspension.

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Tigers or A's?

1. Having grown up in northern Manitoba, I always will have a soft spot in my heart for the Flin Flon Bombers. So I was thrilled to hear that the Bombers are in possession of their first team bus. Happy travels!

2. Here's Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times, with a thought on the WNBA final: "So who would’ve ever guessed that the U.S. government would cease operations before the WNBA did?”

3. Congrats to old friend Bob Ridley, the radio voice and bus driver for the Medicine Hat Tigers. City council there has decided to name the press box in its soon-to-be constructed arena in honour of Ridley. Well done! . . . Here's Ridley, via Twitter: "Thoughts of having my name on new Event centre press box is awesome . Thx to the Maser family for the request to the city of M.H."

4. Here is Michael Hiltzik of the Los Angeles Times: "Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday signed a bill giving the National Football League an enormous break — at the expense of players who get hurt, sometimes devastatingly, entertaining the fans. He should be ashamed." . . . Yes, the rich get richer and the NFL owners continue to show an amazing amount of gall. . . . Hiltzik's complete piece is right here.

5. If you missed the telecast of League of Denial on PBS on Tuesday night, you are able to view it on-line. Just visit PBS-TV's website. . . . In the meantime, right here is Cam Cole of the Vancouver Sun writing about what he heard and saw, and its impact on him.

6. And how many of you had the Seattle Thunderbirds trading D Jesse Forsberg before the Prince George Cougars dealt his younger brother, Alex? Jesse is on his way to the Moose Jaw Warriors, as Seattle got down to three 20-year-olds on Wednesday.

7. If you're a baseball purist, you have to love the idea of the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers meeting with a World Series berth on the line. Close your eyes and there are visions of Gibson and Drysdale and Koufax and Gibson and Torre and Javier . . .

8. The WHL's U.S. Division teams are loving life on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains. The Everett Silvertips won in Edmonton last night, meaning the American invaders are 5-0 over there this season. . . . Some other surprising numbers as I watch from afar: The Silvertips, the least-penalized team in the WHL, are 5-1-1 under old-new head coach Kevin Constantine; the Vancouver Giants are 1-6-1 and have scored only 13 goals in eight games; the Lethbridge Hurricanes are 1-5-1.

9. "Researchers at a Mayo Clinic conference on concussions in hockey called Wednesday for a ban on fighting at all levels of the sport, eight days after a Montreal Canadiens enforcer was hospitalized because of a fight on opening night of the NHL season," writes Jeff Z. Klein of The New York Times. That piece is right here. At one point, Klein adds: "Other attendees said the NHL and junior leagues should drop fighting for liability reasons, as well as health and safety reasons." . . . Yes, for liability reasons!

10. There isn’t anything more exciting in sports than a deciding game, which is what we have today as the Detroit Tigers meet the host Oakland Athletics. It’s veteran Justin Verlander of the Tigers starting against fresh-faced Sonny Gray of the A’s. . . . I think I have to go with Verlander, but there’s something about the loosey-goosey A’s that intrigues me. . . . At the same time, does Detroit manager Jim Leyland ever look as though he’s enjoying a game?

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Ryan Gaucher (Saskatoon, 1996-99) signed a one-year contract with Val Gardena (Italy, Serie A2). He had three goals and 18 assists in 31 games with Starbulls Rosenheim (Germany, 2. Bundesliga) last season.
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The Prince George Cougars dealt D Jesse Forsberg and a pair of draft picks to the Seattle Thunderbirds for F Colin Jacobs, 19. . . . Forsberg, from Waldheim, Sask., will turn 19 on Aug. 13. . . . The Cougars also included two 2013 draft picks, fifth- and seventh-rounders, in the trade. . . . Jacobs, who is from Coppell, Texas, had asked for a trade as he looks for a fresh start. He gives the Cougars some size up front, at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds. He has 89 points in 188 games with Seattle. Last season, he had 19 points in 44 games but was troubled by shoulder woes. . . . Jacobs was a fourth-round pick by the Buffalo Sabres in the NHL’s 2011 draft. Seattle took him in the fourth round of the 2008 bantam draft. . . . Forsberg, the Cougars’ captain last season, brings the Thunderbirds some veteran leadership on the back end. He was the 11th overall selection in the 2008 bantam draft. He has 45 points and 379 penalty minutes in 170 games with the Cougars. . . . Forsberg didn't want to return to Prince George, despite the fact his brother, Alex, 17, also is on the Cougars’ roster.
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The Spokane Chiefs have made an addition to their exhibition schedule, adding a game against the visiting Kelowna Rockets. They’ll play Sept. 13, 7 p.m., at Eagles Ice-A-Rena. That means the Chiefs will play six preseason games.
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Mark Brennan is the new equipment manager for the Portland Winterhawks. He replaces Rob Gagne, who left the team to move back to Cleveland, his hometown, to be closer to family. Brennan assisted Gagne and Portland’s equipment staff last season, and brings nearly 25 years of experience to the position. Brennan is not your average WHL equipment slinger. He began his career in the WHL with the New Westminster Bruins (1983-85). He worked as the Detroit Red Wings’ head equipment manager from 1986 through 1994, then spent 10 years with the Florida Panthers. He moved to Portland to open a hockey equipment repair business. Brennan has been a member of the Trainers and Equipment Managers Wall of Honor at the Hockey Hall of Fame since 2010.
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D Morgan Rielly of the Moose Jaw Warriors has signed a three-year deal with the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs. They selected him fifth overall in the NHL’s 2012 draft. Rielly, 18, had 18 points in 18 games with the Warriors last season, his season shortened by knee surgery, although he did return late in the playoffs. As an 18-year-old, Rielly either plays with the Maple Leafs or has to be returned to Moose Jaw.
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F Pearce Eviston, who played in 18 games with the Portland Winterhawks last season, has signed with the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers. Eviston, who will be 20 on Nov. 4, had one goal in 18 games with Portland.
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The B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League has lost a team with the collapse of the Kelowna-based Okanagan College Coyotes. The Coyotes played three seasons in the league. The BCIHL now has six teams – the Thompson River U WolfPack (Kamloops), Selkirk College Saints (Castlegar), Eastern Washington U Eagles (Cheney, Wash.), Simon Fraser University, Trinity Western U and U of Victoria.
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It has been almost 11 months since the KHL team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl was wiped out in a plane crash. The organization now is back on its feet and the team has played an exhibition game. Andy Potts has more right here.

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Troy Bourke of the Prince George Cougars, here getting tight coverage
from Patrick Holland (41) of the Tri-City Cougars, beat goaltender
Ty Rimmer twice on Tuesday night.
(Photo by John Allen / AridAcres.com)

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Zdenek Blatny (Seattle, Kootenay, 1998-2001) signed a one-year contract with the Vienna Capitals (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had 20 goals and 26 assists in 47 games this season with the Graz 99ers (Austria, Erste Bank Liga).
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The NHL in Saskatoon? Why not?
Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun spent 10 days in Saskatoon covering the Tim Hortons Brier (aka the Canadian men’s curling championship) and takes an extensive look at Toontown and the NHL right here.
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A note from a WHL fan who lives in Sudbury, Ont.:

JESSE WALLIN

“Is there any precedent in the WHL in giving coach of the year honours to someone whose team never made the playoffs?
“Because I think Jesse Wallin really deserves it.
“I can't think of any coach who's managed to keep his team together with all the injuries he's had to endure.
“The Rebels have won road games in tough buildings on a regular basis with 14 or 15 skaters.
“I don't know if coaches or media vote on this, but it would make a
real statement about the integrity of this league if he got the plaque.”
Can’t argue with that!
And as if to empasize the point, the Rebels, who won’t make the playoffs, went into Medicine Hat and beat the Tigers 4-2 last night.
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F Dylan Wruck of the Edmonton Oil Kings, who suffered a shoulder injury in a 7-4 victory over the visiting Red Deer Rebels, won’t play until at least the start of playoffs. Head coach Derek Laxdal has told Chris O’Leary of the Edmonton Journal: “He’s doing OK. . . . We’re hoping to have him back for Game 1 of the playoffs, but it’s a wait-and-see approach right now.” . . . The Oil Kings, who will finish atop the Eastern Conference, have three games remaining and are a point behind the Tri-City Americans, who lead the overall standings. Should the Oil Kings win out, they will finish first overall. The Oil Kings are on the road against the Kootenay Ice tonight, the Medicine Hat Tigers on Friday and Red Deer on Saturday.
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The Kelowna Rockets expect to have F Colton Sissons, their captain, back in their lineup on Friday night as they open a season-ending home-and-home series with the Vancouver Giants. They’ll play in Vancouver on Friday and in Kelowna on Saturday. . . . Sissons, who has been out with a concussion since Feb. 11, skated with contact on Tuesday. . . . Meanwhile, F Spencer Main, who also has been concussed, has skated, albeit without contact, and will see a doctor this week. Main hasn’t played since Oct. 23. . . . Neither will play tonight against the visiting Everett Silvertips. . . . Doyle Potenteau of the Kelowna Daily Courier reports that D Mitchell Chapman is likely to miss the Rockets’ last three regular-season games with an undisclosed injury. He should be ready to go when the playoffs open.
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If you think there’s a war going on with Brian Burke, the man who runs the Toronto Maple Leafs, and anyone in the media, well, forget it. It’s nothing. Howard Berger, who has been around the Leafs for a long time, has a piece right here that is all about the way it used to be . . . when Harold Ballard was around.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The QMJHL’s Baie Comeau Drakkar have fired head coach Mario Pouliot. The axe fell with three games left in the regular season and the Drakkar 2-7-1 in its last 10 games and tumbling from ninth to 14th place. Pouliot spent 114 games as the head coach, winning just 37. . . . General manager Steve Ahern has taken over as head coach.
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F Sven Baertschi of the Portland Winterhawks scored his second goal in three games with the NHL’s Calgary Flames last night. He got the game’s second goal in the Flames’ 3-2 victory over the visiting San Jose Sharks. . . . Former Chilliwack Bruins F Roman Horak drew an assist on Baertschi’s goal. . . . Interestingly, the Flames returned F Krys Kolanos to the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat after the game, while keeping Baertschi on emergency recall. Kolanos was a healthy scratch last night. . . . Baertschi played 20 shifts, including two in OT, totaling 14:06. . . . Vicki Hall of the Calgary Herald has the details of Baertschi’s latest game right here.
In Tampa Bay, G Dustin Tokarski, a product of the Spokane Chiefs (2006-09), stopped 33 shots as the Lightning beat the Stanley Cup-champion Boston Bruins, 6-1. That was Tokarski’s first NHL victory. He was named the game’s second star. . . . This was his fifth appearance with Tampa Bay, three of which have come this season. This season, he is 1-1-0, 2.64, .906. . . .
I got a phone call on Tuesday from a fan of the Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?), pointing out that I missed D Brandon Manning’s NHL debut with the Philadelphia Flyers last week. Manning played three games, finishing plus-2. He played 14:59, 14:01 and 13:57 against visiting Florida, in Toronto and in New Jersey, respectively. . . . With D Kimmo Timonen returning from injury and playing in last night’s 3-0 victory over the visiting New Jersey Devils, Manning was a healthy scratch. But he took part in the morning skate and is still with the Flyers, at least as of last night.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Saskatoon, F Matej Stransky had a goal and four assists as the Blades beat the Prince Albert Raiders, 11-5. . . . The game was televised by Shaw and featured a third-period line brawl. . . . Prince Albert D Josh Morrissey tied the game 5-5 on a PP just 37 seconds into the third period. . . . The Blades then scored six straight goals. . . . Stransky, 18, has 77 points, including 37 goals, in 68 games. Last season, he finished with 26 points, 14 of them goals, in 71 games. . . . Saskatoon got two goals from each of F Ryan Olsen, who has 15, Jake Trask, who has 22, and Travis McEvoy, who has six. . . . Prince Albert F Joey Santucci scored his first WHL goal while killing a penalty. Santucci, 17, is from Coquitlam, B.C. He was playing in his eighth game. . . . Saskatoon was 4-6 on the PP. . . . Referees Adam Byblow and Reagan Vetter gave the Raiders 86 of the game’s 165 penalty minutes. Ch-ch-ching! They handed out 85 minutes from a line dance at 14:37 of the third period. . . . Because of injuries, the Blades dressed only four defencemen. . . . The victory lifted the Blades one point ahead of Kootenay and Regina, into fifth in the Eastern Conference. . . .

In Medicine Hat, D Alex Petrovic scored twice to lead the Red Deer Rebels to a 4-2 victory over the Tigers. . . . Petrovic broke a 1-1 tie 39 seconds into the third period with PP goal. . . . F Tyson Ness upped the visitors’ lead to 3-1 with his 20th goal at 10:00. . . . Petrovic has 12 goals. . . . Medicine Hat D James Bettauer scored his 21st goal of the season. . . . Red Deer G Deven Dubyk stopped 28 shots. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz turned aside 31 shots but was unable to pick up his 40th victory of the season. . . . The Tigers had six players out with injuries; the Rebels, who had lost four in a row, scratched nine injured players. . . . Jesse Wallin, the Rebels’ general manager and head coach, watched the game from the press box. “I wanted to take in the game from a little different perspective,” Wallin told Greg Meachem, the sports editor of the Red Deer Advocate. “You kind of remove the emotion a bit when you’re sitting up top, it’s a different point of evaluation.” . . . The Tigers remained third in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of Calgary. . . .

In Kent, Wash., G Calvin Pickard kicked out 41 shots to lead the host Seattle Thunderbirds to a 3-1 victory over the Spokane Chiefs. . . . Pickard stopped Spokane F Steve Kuhn on a first-period penalty shot with the game still scoreless. . . . F Connor Honey scored twice, giving him eight this season, and F Seth Swenson ran his goal streak to three games with his 10th. Swenson also drew two assists. . . . F Brendan Rouse also had two assists for Seattle. . . . All three Seattle goals came via the PP as it went 3-4 with the man advantage. . . . The Chiefs’ PP was 0-6. . . . A note from @WHLFacts: “It's now been 150 games since someone not named Calvin Pickard has won a @SeattleTbirds game.” . . . The Thunderbirds are ninth in the Western Conference but now are just one point behind the Victoria Royals. Seattle has three games remaining, while Victoria has two to play. . . . The Chiefs are fifth, two points behind Vancouver. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., D Jesse Forsberg scored at 1:02 of OT to give the Prince George Cougars a 5-4 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . The goal was Forsberg’s fifth this season. . . . F Troy Bourke scored twice for the Cougars, giving him 18, while F Spencer Asuchak, who began his WHL career with the Americans, had his 16th goal and an assist. . . . Prince George also got two assists from F Caleb Belter. . . . The Cougars erased a 3-1 deficit and took a 4-3 lead on Bourke’s second goal at 12:42 of the second. . . . Tri-City F Adam Hughesman forced OT with his 48th goal at 3:52 of the third. . . . Cougars G Drew Owsley stopped 31 shots, 12 more than Tri-City’s Ty Rimmer. . . . Owsley has 98 career victories, 76 of them with the Americans, who dealt him to the Cougars for Rimmer over the summer. . . . Hughesman scored twice, giving him nine goals in his last five games, and added an assist. . . . Tri-City F Brendan Shinnimin scored his 58th goal and added an assist. The WHL’s leading scorer ran his point streak to 21 games and is the first WHLer to 130 points since F Pavel Brendl put up 134 with the Calgary Hitmen in 1998-99. . . . Tri-City F Patrick Holland had two assists, meaning he has at least one assist in 18 straight games. . . . Holland also finished minus-4. . . . The Cougars kept their playoff hopes alive. With two games remaining, they are three points behind eighth-place Victoria. . . . The Americans lead the overall standings by one point over Edmonton and are two points ahead of Portland atop the Western Conference. . . . Edmonton has three games left, while Tri-City has two to play. So if the Oil Kings run the table they would finish first overall.
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TUESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Jesse Forsberg, Prince George.
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TUESDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
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IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY:
Eastern Conference
Edmonton (1) vs. Brandon (8)
Moose Jaw (2) vs. Regina (7)
Medicine Hat (3) vs. Kootenay (6)
Calgary (4) vs. Saskatoon (5)
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Western Conference
Tri-City (1) vs. Victoria (8)
Kamloops (2) vs. Everett (7)
Portland (3) vs. Kelowna (6)
Vancouver (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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TODAY’S GAMES
Moose Jaw at Brandon
Lethbridge at Calgary
Edmonton at Kootenay
Prince Albert at Regina
Everett at Kelowna
Kamloops at Spokane
Portland at Victoria

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