Rockets first to reach conference final

Red Ice Martigny (Switzerland, NL B) exercised its option on F Kirill Starkov (Red Deer, 2006-07) for next season. Starkov began the season with Esbjerg (Denmark, Metal Ligaen), picking up 45 points, including 12 goals, in 31 games. He was released over issues involving betting on a game, and signed with Red Ice in January, although the transfer wasn’t approved until playoffs. In three games, he had one goal. He also is suspended for the Swiss federation for the first five games of 2014-15 because of his involvement in the betting scandal.
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Ten hockey thoughts . . .
1. We are living in 2014. How is it that a WHL team, the Moose Jaw Warriors, gets caught up in a debate over a retro logo that obviously is out of place in these times?
2. When TSN analyst Craig Button gets around to doing whatever it is he is going to do to help the Saskatoon Blades in their personnel hunt, will he recommend Mike Gillis as GM?
3. On March 10, the NHL had to prematurely halt a game in the first period after Dallas forward Rich Peverley collapsed at the bench. The host Stars were trailing the Columbus Blue Jackets 1-0 at the time. So what was the NHL’s thinking in replaying the entire game, but allowing Columbus to open with a 1-0 lead? Nathan Horton, the goal scorer, is injured and didn’t even make the trip to Dallas, meaning he scored a goal without being in the lineup.
4. Is it just me or have the WHL playoffs, unless you are a follower of the Kootenay Ice, been rather drab? Five of 12 series have ended in sweeps. Only two of eight first-round series went as deep as six games. It could be that only one four second-round series sees a Game 6. Right now, the won-lost record is 56-11. So much for parity.
5. If the Detroit Red Wings get F Henrik Zetterberg back, might they give the Pittsburgh Penguins a run for their money in the first round of the NHL playoffs?
6. Are the Portland Winterhawks headed for a fourth straight appearance in the WHL’s championship final? Only the Flin Flon Bombers (1967-71), Edmonton Oil Kings (1968-72) and New Westminster Bruins (1974-78) have appeared in four straight finals.
7. Is the WHL headed for a third consecutive final series between Portland and Edmonton?
8. If Vancouver fires head coach John Tortorella, might Trevor Linden, a former Medicine Hat Tigers star who now is the Canucks’ president of hockey operations, hire Willie Desjardins? Now the head coach of the AHL’s Texas Stars, Desjardins had success as Medicine Hat’s GM/head coach.
9. Is this the offseason in which the rumours of the impending sale of the Regina Pats actually turn out to be true, and will it be Calgary oil money that ends up owning the franchise?
10. With the NHL’s Calgary Flames searching for a general manager, will Kelly Kisio, the president of hockey operations and alternate governor for the Calgary Hitmen, be on Brian Burke’s radar? If he isn’t, he should be.
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In the spirit of the opening of the MLB season, The Sports Curmudgeon, an old friend of the blog, takes a look at some of the food available at a few of the baseball parks across North American right here. You are advised not to read this on a full stomach. It also is suggested that you not try to duplicate any of these things at home.
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After three tours of duty as an assistant coach, Mark Osiecki is the head coach of the U.S. national junior team that will comp[ete in the 2015 world junior championship. . . . Osiecki, presently an assistant coach with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, was an assistant coach with the team in 2010, 2011 and 2013, winning two gold medals and a bronze. . . . Don Granato, the head coach of the U.S. National Team Development Program’s U-17 team, and Kevin Patrick, an assistant coach at the U of Vermont, will work as Osiecki’s assistant coaches. . . . Jim Johannson, USA Hockey’s executive director of hockey operations, will be Team USA’s general manager for a sixth consecutive year. . . . The 2015 WJC is scheduled for Montreal and Toronto, Dec. 26 through Jan. 5. The U.S. will be in a group with Canada, Finland, Germany and Slovakia. . . . The U.S. will hold its summer evaluation camp in Lake Placid, N.Y., Aug. 2-9.
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The USHL has approved an expansion franchise that will play out of Bloomington, Ill., as the Thunder. The franchise is owned by CSH International, which also owns, among many other things, the WHL’s Everett Silvertips and the NAHL’s Amarillo Bulls. Bill Yuill, a familiar face in WHL circles, is CEO of CSH International, while Gary Gelinas, the Silvertips’ president and governor, is the president of CSH.
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F Spencer Kryczka has committed to Princeton U. Kryczka, who turned 19 on March 13, was selected by the Red Deer Rebels in the third round of the 2010 WHL bantam drafat. A native of Calgary, he finished this season with the AJHL’s Camrose Kodiaks, after playing more than two seasons with the Okotoks Oilers. This season, he had 25 points, including 12 goals, in 48 games.
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If you are a follower of the junior B Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, you should know that there’s a new blog out there that will endeavour to keep you up to date on happenings. You will find it right here. There also is a link to it over there on the right.
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F Graham Black of the Swift Current Broncos has signed an ATO with the Albany Devils, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils. Black, who played out his junior eligibility this season, was a fifth-round selection by the Devils in the 2012 NHL draft. . . . From Regina, Black had 97 points, 34 of them goals, in 69 games with the Broncos this season.
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For today’s good read, we take you to grantland.com and a piece by Charles P. Pierce about the NFL’s Washington Redskins and their owner, Dan Snyder. It is the owner, of course, who refuses to do away with what Pierce refers to as being “racially vicious.” . . . That piece is right here.
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And here is a longer read for you, as Charlie Gillis of Maclean's magazine takes a look at the ugliness that seems to have entrenched itself into some areas of Canadian minor hockey. Gillis paints anything but a pretty picture; in fact, it’s likely worse than even you suspect. That piece is right here. A shower is suggested for after you have read it.
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G Eric Williams of the Spokane Chiefs has signed with the ECHL’s Colorado Eagles. Williams, 20, went 33-19-4, 2.67, .906 with the Chiefs this season, his fourth in the WHL. The Eagles, who have a playoff spot under wraps, began a three-game series with the visiting Alaska Aces last night. . . . The Eagles head coach is Chris Stewart, who did a turn as head coach of the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders back in the day.
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THE SECOND ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. BRANDON (7)
(Edmonton leads, 3-1)
Season series: Edmonton, 3-1-0; Brandon, 1-2-1.
Thursday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 5 (5,899)
Saturday: Brandon 0 at Edmonton 3 (7,115)
Tuesday: Edmonton 5 at Brandon 2 (3,522)
Wednesday: Edmonton 2 at Brandon 5 (3,246)
Friday: Brandon at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: Edmonton at Brandon, 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday: Brandon at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: F Brandon Baddock, day-to-day; D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Brandon: G Curtis Honey, day-to-day.
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MEDICINE HAT (4) vs. KOOTENAY (6)
(Kootenay leads, 2-1)
Season series: Medicine Hat, 3-3-0; Kootenay, 3-3-0.
Saturday: Kootenay 4 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,750)
Sunday: Kootenay 2 at Medicine Hat 5 (3,755)
Wednesday: Medicine Hat 1 at Kootenay 3 (2,461)
Thursday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
Saturday: Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.
x-Monday: Medicine Hat at Kootenay, 7 p.m.
x-Wednesday: Kootenay at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
(NOTE: Kootenay plays home games in Cranbrook, B.C.)
INJURIES
Medicine Hat: F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
Kootenay: F Tim Bozon, indefinite; F Ryan Chynoweth, indefinite; D Tyler King, day-to-day; D Tanner Faith, 3-5 months.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. SEATTLE (4)
(Kelowna wins, 4-0)
Season series: Kelowna, 2-1-1; Seattle, 2-1-1.
Thursday: Seattle 2 at Kelowna 6 (4,581)
Saturday: Seattle 3 at Kelowna 6 (5,675)
Tuesday: Kelowna 5 at Seattle 4 (5,029)
Wednesday: Kelowna 5 at Seattle 2 (2,219)
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, week-to-week.
Seattle: F Connor Honey, indefinite; F Jaimen Yakubowski, day-to-day.
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PORTLAND (2) vs. VICTORIA (3)
(Portland leads, 3-1)
(Series televised by Shaw-TV in Canada;
Games 6 and 7, if necessary, on Comcast SportsNet in Portland area)
Season series: Portland, 1-1-2; Victoria, 3-1-0.
Friday: Victoria 2 at Portland 8 (6,152)
Saturday: Victoria 3 at Portland 6 (10,947)
Monday: Portland 1 at Victoria 2 (6,505)
Tuesday: Portland 4 at Victoria 3 (6,745)
Thursday: Victoria at Portland (Moda Center), 7, p.m.
x-Saturday: Portland at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.
x-Monday: Victoria at Portland (Veterans Memorial Coliseum), 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Portland: None.
Victoria: None.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

In Cranbrook, F Levi Cable scored three times to lead the Kootenay Ice to a 3-1 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . The Ice leads the series 2-1, with Game 4 in Cranbrook tonight. . . . Cable, who has six playoff goals, broke a 1-1 tie with a shorthanded goal at 16:38 of the third period, then added an empty-netter at 19:09. . . . Cable, a 19-year-old from Hudson Bay, Sask., had opened the scoring at 9:03 of the second period. . . . Medicine Hat F Curtis Valk tied the game, with his seventh goal, at 7:40 of the third. . . . Cable, in his third season with the Ice, scored 10 goals in 70 regular-season games. WHL Facts (@WHLFacts) tweeted that Cable scored three goals in 45 games between Nov. 30 and March 24. Since March 25, Cable has six goals in as many games. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart had two assists, his first points of the series, and now leads all playoff scorers in assists (14) and points (19). . . . Ice G Mackenzie Skapski turned aside 39 shots, 12 more than the Tigers’ Marek Langhamer. . . . Kootenay was 0-for-4 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 0-for-3.


 In Kent, Wash., the Kelowna Rockets erased a 1-0 first-period deficit with four straight goals and went on to beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-2. . . . The Rockets won the series, 4-0, giving them an 8-1 record in these playoffs. . . . The Rockets finished atop the overall standings so are the No. 1 seed through the playoffs. They now await the winner of the other Western Conference semifinal, between the No. 2 Portland Winterhawks and No. 3 Victoria Royals. The Winterhawks take a 3-1 lead into Game 5 tonight in Portland. . . . Seattle D Ethan Bear opened the scoring at 14:22 of the first period, on a PP. . . . Kelowna D Damon Severson, who had 11 points, including four goals, in the four games, tied it at 16:11 of the second period and F Cole Linaker gave Kelowna the lead at 18:14. . . . Severson and Linaker each have four goals in these playoffs. . . . Kelowna F Marek Tvrdon got his fifth at 12:46 and F Tyson Baillie added his third, on the PP, at 15:00. . . . Seattle F Sam McKechnie scored his first goal at 15:12, but Kelowna F Nick Merkley got an empty-netter at 19:33. . . . The Rockets were 2-for-5 on the PP; Seattle was 1-for-7. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 42 shots, as did Seattle’s Taran Kozun. . . . Seattle D Evan Wardley didn’t finish the game and was on crutches with a leg injury.


In Brandon, F Jens Meilleur broke a 2-2 tie with a third-period shorthanded goal and the Wheat Kings, getting 49 saves from G Jordan Papirny, went on to beat the Edmonton Oil Kings, 5-2. . . . The Oil Kings lead the series 3-1 with Game 5 scheduled for Friday in Edmonton. . . . Edmonton had won seven straight games in these playoffs. . . . Papirny has stopped 181 shots in the four games. He will celebrate his 18th birthday today; perhaps his teammates should buy him breakfast, lunch and dinner. . . . F Richard Nejezchleb scored his fourth goal of the playoffs, at 6:04 of the first period, to give Brandon its first lead of the series. . . . Edmonton D Cody Corbett tied it at 9:37, with Brandon F Tim McGauley restoring the lead at 11:35. . . . Edmonton F Luke Bertolucci, who had six goals in 63 regular-season games, tied it again, at 7:47 of the second period, with his third playoff goal. . . . Meilleur scored at 6:32 of the third, with F John Quenneville adding insurance at 11:28 and Nejezchleb, who also had an assist, getting an empty-netter during a PP. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 26 shots. . . . Brandon was 1-for-4 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-for-4.


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Blazers lose game, two defencemen

G Rastislav Stana (Moose Jaw, Calgary, 1998-2000) has signed for the rest of this season with Kosice (Slovakia, Extraliga). He had been practising with the team for the past week. Stana was released by CSKA Moscow (Russia, KHL) two weeks ago. In 25 games, he had a 2.31 GAA and .912 save percentage. . . . .
D Patrik Vrana (Moose Jaw, Prince George, 2006-07) has signed for the rest of this season with Cracovia Krakow after being released by Polonia Bytom (both Poland, Ekstraliga) last week. With Bytom, he had 11 points, including four goals, in 32 games. . . .
F Kirill Starkov (Red Deer, 2006-07) has been barred, at least temporarily, from playing with his new club, Red Ice Martigny (Switzerland, NL B), because the Danish Ice Hockey Union (DIF) cannot release his transfer card. DIU Director Enver Hansen: "If there is a risk that a player can get a suspension, we must according to IIHF rules not release his transfer card, and we must of course follow this until there is further clarification on the matter and a measurement of a possible suspension."
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Will they, or won’t they?
I refer, of course, to the Prince George Cougars. Will they, or won’t they, be operating in the northern B.C. city when the 2014-15 WHL season gets here?
Owner Rick Brodsky isn’t about to provide a definitive answer, at least not at this point in time.
But he did tell me that he hasn’t spoken with anyone from True North Sports and Entertaintment, the owners of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets. There has been ample speculation that TNSE would love to purchase a WHL franchise and operate it out of the MTS Centre, following the business models that are used by the Calgary Flames with the Hitmen and the Edmonton Oilers with the Oil Kings.
At this point in time, the Cougars don’t seem to be part of that conversation.
“I have never talked to anyone from True North. We have never had any discussion. Period,” Brodsky told me last week, and it’s impossible to be more definitive than that.
Through 25 home games, the Cougars’ average attendance is 1,685. That’s down from last season’s final average of 1,840.
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One of the highlights of the 1972 Summit Series was the writing of John Robertson, a legendary Canadian sports writer who then was with the Montreal Star. . . . Robertson died Saturday in Gimli, Man., at the age of 79. . . . Lordy, but the man could write. Before the series began, he wrote a column predicting that the Soviets would win twice in Canada and then take all four games back home. Oh, the outrage! A nation erupted. . . . Oh yes, Robertson also said he would eat his column with Russian dressing if Canada won the series. . . . And he later did exactly that. I still remember the photo! . . . There’s more right here. . . .
And if you click right here you’ll find Robertson’s column after the famous 1975 New Year’s Eve game between the host Montreal Canadiens and the Red Army side.
Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post remembers Robbie, who also was known as Coconut Willie, right here.
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Greg McAuley has stepped down as head coach of the SPHL’s Fayetteville FireAntz in order to spend more time with his ailing mother. McAuley was in his first season as Fayetteville’s head coach; the team was 14-15-3. Assistant coach Sean Edwards has moved up and will run the bench.
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TUESDAY’S GAMES:
The Brandon Wheat Kings scored the game’s first and last goals, but host Edmonton got four in between and the Oil Kings skated to a 4-2 victory before 11,339 fans. . . . It was Hockey Hooky in Edmonton, so the game, which started at 11:30 a.m., was attended by a whole lot of students. . . . F Brett Pollock scored twice for Edmonton, giving him 19. . . . Edmonton F Henrik Samuelsson had two assits. He’s got 65 points, including 42 helpers, in 43 games. . . . Brandon F Jayce Hawryluk got his 14th goal; he hadn’t scored in his previous 12 games. . . . The Oil Kings (35-13-1) have won six straight. They lead the Central Division by three points over the Calgary Hitmen (31-12-6). . . . Brandon (26-18-5) is fifth in the Eastern Conference, two points behind the Medicine Hat Tigers and two ahead of the Regina Pats. . . . Alicja Siekierska of the Edmonton Journal reports that Pollock and teammates Dysin Mayo and Aaron Irving “woke up at 6 a.m. to write exams.” Her game story is right here. . . .
In Kamloops, F Mitch Holmberg scored his WHL-leading 44th and 45th goals to help the Spokane Chiefs to a 6-3 victory over the Blazers. . . . Holmberg scored on a first-period 5-on-3 PP at 15:55. . . . F Dominic Zwerger got the Chiefs’ second goal just 1:31 later, the goal coming just as the second PP expired. . . . Spokane F Mike Aviani was ejected in the second period for a headshot on Kamloops D Connor Clouston, who didn’t return. . . . The Chiefs scored two shorthanded goals on the Aviani penalty, the first coming via a penalty shot by F Liam Stewart. . . . The Chiefs lead the WHL with 14 shorthanded goals. . . . F Cole Ully and F Chase Souto each scored his 20th goal of the season for Kamloops. . . . D Sam Grist, who likely leads the Blazers in minutes played, left in the first period and didn’t return after absorbing a hit from Aviani. . . . The Blazers already were without F Matt Needham, F Luke Harrison and F Tyson Ness, all veterans who are injured. . . . With the injuries to Grist and Clouston, the Blazers, who were down to five defenceman, announced after the game that they had added D Cameron Reagan, 16, to their roster. Reagan, a fourth-round bantam draft pick in 2012, plays for the midget AAA Sherwood Park J. Ennis Kings, for whom he has 20 points, including three goals, in 31 games. He will make his WHL debut tonight in Vancouver against the Giants. . . . The Blazers wrapped up a seven-game homestand at 1-5-1. . . . The Blazers meet the Giants in Vancouver tonight, then go home-and-home with the Kelowna Rockets on Friday and Saturday, before opening a six-game homestand. Kamloops then will play 10 in a row on the road as the Tim Hortons Brier -- the Canadian men’s curling championship -- takes over the Interior Savings Centre. . . . The Chiefs (30-15-4) have won three in a row. They are fifth in the Western Conference, three points behind the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Blazers, with three straight losses, are 11-34-5 and last in the Western Conference.


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Pochiro shoots way out of PG doghouse

D Bryce Lampman (Kamloops, 2002-03) has signed for the rest of this season with Lørenskog (Norway, GET-Ligaen). This season, with Florida (ECHL), he had five points, including one goal, in eight games. . . .
F Kirill Starkov (Red Deer, 2006-07) has signed with Red Ice Martigny (Switzerland, NL B) for the rest of the season, with an option. (Red Ice contacted the Danish federation and inserted a termination clause should Starkov be suspended by the IIHF over a Danish betting case.)
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George Johnson, the Calgary Herald’s sporting columnist, is one of Canada’s best wordsmiths. He was in attendance Sunday as the hometown Hitmen dropped a 3-2 OT decision to the Edmonton Oil Kings, and his report is right here.
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Things appear to be going from bad to worse for the Kamloops Blazers. They have the WHL’s second-poorest record (11-33-5) and have only one victory in their last 10 outings. And now, as they prepare to play four games in five nights, they have lost two veterans to what they are calling “long-term injuries.”
F Luke Harrison, 18, suffered an undisclosed injury during a 4-0 loss to the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers on Saturday. Harrison, who missed time earlier this season with a brain injury, was involved in a heavy collision with Tigers D Scott Allan at 14:13 of the third period. Harrison needed help from trainer Colin Robinson and left with gauze in his mouth.
One night earlier, F Tyson Ness, 20, suffered a broken jaw when struck by a puck during a 7-2 loss to the visiting Victoria Royals. Ness is expected to be lost for the remainder of the season, although he has told team officials that he badly wants to play in one more game.
The Blazers also are missing freshman F Eric Krienke and veteran F Matt Needham, their captain, with undisclosed injuries. According to the team, Krienke is out one to two weeks, while Needham is week-to-week.
With the injuries, the Blazers have added F Deven Sideroff, 16, to their roster for this week. He has 55 points, 26 of them goals, in 33 games with the midget prep team at the Okanagan Hockey Academy.
G Cole Kehler, 16, also has rejoined the Blazers and will stay with the team while G Justin Myles, who was acquired from the Seattle Thunderbirds at the trade deadline, recovers from an undisclosed injury. Kehler also attends the Okanagan Hockey Academy and plays for the midget prep team for whom he has a 19-4 record. He has gotten into six games with the Blazers this season.
The Blazers are at home to the Spokane Chiefs on Tuesday night, then visit the Giants in Vancouver on Wednesday. F Quinn Benjafield, the Blazers’ first pick, 19th overall, in the 2013 bantam draft, is expected to make his WHL debut in Vancouver, which happens to be his hometown. Benjafield, 15, has 34 points, including 14 goals, in 27 games with the major midget Vancouver-North West Giants.
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The ECHL’s San Francisco Bulls folded on Monday. The Bulls had an affiliation with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks. . . . “We regret to inform you that the SF Bulls are ceasing operations, effective immediately,” president/GM/head coach Pat Curcio wrote to season-ticket holders. “The team was hoping to secure new ownership, however the terms of an updated deal were unable to be finalized, cancelling the remainder of the season.” . . . Included on the roster was D Kalvin Sagert (Kamloops, Lethbridge, Regina, 2002-08). Sagert now is an unrestricted free agent, as are any Bulls players who don’t have AHL or NHL contracts.
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Ron Judd of the Seattle Times starts your Super Bowl preparations -- it’s the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos on Sunday -- with a piece that includes this: “Denver’s Gates Corporation is the world’s largest producer of automotive belts and hoses. Seattle’s Gates Foundation is the world’s largest curer of global hunger and disease.” . . . There’s more right here.
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 The Portland Winterhawks, who have won seven in a row, have earned 17 of a possible 18 points since Jan. 4. . . . Portland F Brendan Leipsic has 20 points in the nine games he has played since serving a seven-game suspension. He has 63 points in 38 games this season. . . . If you were wondering, the Winterhawks are 5-0-0 since D Mathew Dumba joined them after getting some rest following the World Junior Championship. He’s got six points, including two goals, and is plus-10. . . .
Don’t look now but things are heating up in the WHL’s scoring derby. Spokane Chiefs F Mitch Holmberg continues to lead, with 85 points in 48 games, but Portland F Nic Petan is on the move, with 79 points in 41 games. . . . Holmberg leads the WHL in goals, with 43, and that’s 10 more than Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand, who is third in the points derby, with 70. . . . Petan leads the league in assists, with 55. . . . Leipsic and Petan shared the scoring title last season, each with 120 points. . . .
The Brandon Wheat Kings, who are 4-0-1 in their last five games, open a four-game road swing in Edmonton against the red-hot Oil Kings today. If you’re in the area, not that the game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. Yes, they are calling it Hockey Hooky. . . .
Kootenay Ice F Luke Philp is on a 10-game point streak, with 16 points in that time, while F Tim Bozon is riding a nine-game tear. He has 15 points over that stretch. . . . Philp has the longest ongoing streak in the WHL at the moment. . . .
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The Prince George Cougars were without three of their top eight scorers as they dropped a 6-3 decision to the Wheat Kings in Brandon on Saturday night. Ted Clarke of the Prince George Citizen reports that “centre Alex Forsberg (concussion) and winger Chase Witala (upper body) were out with injuries and centre Zach Pochiro was scratched as punishment for his undisciplined play after he took three straight minor penalties in the first period of the Regina game.” . . . The Cougars had lost 8-0 to the Pats in Regina on Friday. . . .
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MONDAY’S GAME:
In Prince Albert, F Zach Pochiro, back in the lineup after sitting out a game as a healthy scratch, forced OT and then won the game in the shootout as the Prince George Cougars beat the Raiders, 6-5. . . . Pochiro tied the game right off a faceoff with 15.4 seconds left in the third period. He then was the only one of eight skaters to score in the shootout. . . . F Todd Fiddler scored twice for the Cougars, giving him 30 goals this season. . . . The Raiders led five times in this one -- 1-0, 2-1, 3-2, 4-3 and 5-4. . . . The Raiders (23-23-3), who had scored five regulation-time goals in their previous five games, are ninth in the Eastern Conference, five points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Cougars (19-26-7) are ninth in the Western Conference, eight points out of the playoffs.
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From Francis Costello (@FrankCostello_): “Welcome back. I actually had to scroll box scores! Business idea alert: $10 annual subscription. I’d gladly play!!”
Hmmm . . . seeing as I’m unemployed . . .

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A bra on the ice? In a WHL game?

Two former WHL players have had their contracts terminated by Esbjerg Energy, a pro team in Denmark’s Al-Bank Liga.
F Tyler Mosienko (Kelowna, 2000-05) and F Kirill Starkov (Red Deer, 2006-07), along with backup goaltender David Jones, admitted, according to Lokalavisen.dk, before the Danish Ice Hockey Federation (DIF), having bet that “Rungsted would score at least one goal in the 1st period” of a Jan. 3 game. Rungsted scored three times in the first period, en route to a 7-4 victory.
Lokalavisen.dk reported that team president Christian Rølmer Christensen was “both surprised and disappointed about the matter.”
After tweeting about this on Friday, The MacBeth Report checks in with:
“Players were told at the start of the season that they were prohibited from betting on their own games – this is the government lottery, not some back-alley bookie deal. A Rungsted player told someone in Esbjerg’s management that they were suspicious about what happened in the first period. The club went to the Danish Federation. The three players admitted to the bets to the DIF and Esbjerg terminated their contracts immediately. The DIF Match Fixing Committee is investigating and will report to the DIF board in about three weeks. I would guess that DIF could ban the players for a period of time. This would probably be honoured by other federations, so their careers may be done.”
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“The process of determining who gets to host the Memorial Cup is broken,” writes Tony Saxon of the Guelph Mercury. . . . This comes after the news that the 2013 tournament, which was held in Saskatoon, fell quite a bit short of the pre-tournament profit guarantee of $3.5 million. . . . Saxon’s column is right here.
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The junior career of Tyson Ness, 20, may have ended Friday night when the Kamloops Blazers forward took a puck to the face and suffered a broken jaw during a 7-2 loss to the visiting Victoria Royals. Ness, who had 24 points, including 12 goals, in 48 games, may need surgery. He has told people in the Blazers’ organization that he wants to come back and play one more game, so perhaps he’ll suit up for the team’s final regular-season game. . . .
F Curtis Valk of the Medicine Hat Tigers ran his goal-scoring streak to seven games, the longest in the WHL this season, in a 4-0 victory over the host Blazers on Saturday night. He has a team-high 26 goals. . . . G Nick Schneider, 16, earned the shutout for the Tigers. He stopped 19 shots in his first start since coming over from the Regina Pats in January. . . . The Tigers, playing their fourth game in five nights, outshot the Blazers, 34-19, including 17-9 in the third period. . . . The Blazers, who are 1-4-1 under head coach Guy Charron since he replaced Dave Hunchak on Jan. 11, were without F Matt Needham, who was injured again in Friday’s game, and lost F Luke Harrison in the third period last night following a collision with Medicine Hat D Scott Allan. Harrison, who has missed time this season with a brain injury, was attended to by trainer Colin Robinson and left with gauze in his mouth. . . . Kamloops G Justin Myles remains out with an undisclosed injury. G Al Duncan, who plays for the junior B Chase, B.C., Heat, backed up Bolton Pouliot last night. . . . 
You may have seen this tweet from Bob Ridley, the Tigers’ legendary broadcaster, on Friday night: “Can't understand why the classy Prospera Place in Kelowna can't provide visiting broadcasters with a decent broadcast location.” . . . It turns out that he had problems broadcasting the Tigers’ 6-2 loss to the Rockets because he struggled to see past the TV cameras that were perched in front of his location. . . .
F Peter Quenneville had two goals to lead the host Brandon Wheat Kings to a 6-3 victory over the Prince George Cougars. Quenneville has 35 points, including 14 goals, in 30 games since leaving Quinnipiac University for the Wheat Kings earlier this season. He had four assists in five games with the Bobcats. . . .
The host Edmonton Oil Kings scored the game’s first five goals en route to a convincing 7-3 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. The victory left Edmonton at 33-13-1 and atop the Eastern Conference. The Oil Kings are tied in points (67) with Calgary (31-12-5), but have played one fewer game and have two more victories. . . . The Oil Kings are 9-1-0 in their last 10 and have won four in a row. . . . The same teams will meet today in Calgary. . . . 
G Patrik Bartosak stopped 41 shots as the Red Deer Rebels went into Regina and beat the Pats, 4-0. He has five shutouts this season and 11 in his career. . . . One night earlier, the Pats blanked visiting Prince George, 8-0. . . .
They saluted the Brodsky in Saskatoon last night -- the family owned the Blades for 37 years -- and the Blades then went out and got past the Swift Current Broncos 3-2 in OT. D MacKenzie Johnston, who is from Swift Current, got the winner at 3:16 of extra time. . . .
F Sam Reinhart struck for three goals, giving him 24, as the host Kootenay Ice dropped the Moose Jaw Warriors, 6-2. . . . Moose Jaw actually led 2-0 midway through the first period before giving up the game’s last six goals. . . . Ice F Tim Bozon scored his 20^th goal of the season. He has 41 points, including 17 goals, in 36 games with the Ice, who acquired him from the Kamloops Blazers 13 games into the season. . . .
The Victoria Royals, who may be the WHL’s best defensive team these days, got 32 saves from G Patrik Polivka and beat the Giants 3-1 in Vancouver. . . . The Royals have allowed 120 goals in 41 games. At 33-16-2, they are third in the Western Conference, three points ahead of the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Victoria needs two more victories to tie the franchise’s single-season record that was set last season. . . . Vancouver D Dalton Thrower (ankle) sat out as his side played its sixth game in nine nights. . . . The Royals and Giants will meet again Friday and Saturday, this time in Victoria. . . . 
G Jackson Whistle stopped 26 shots as the host Kelowna Rockets dumped the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 5-0. The Kelowna native posted the first shutout of the season and the third of his career. . . . The Hurricanes, who have lost eight in a row, were outscored 27-3 in a four-game swing into B.C. . . . The Rockets, who lead the overall standings, won for the 40^th time this season. . . .
In Kent, Wash., F Roberts Lipsbergs scored his 29^th goal this season at 1:48 of OT as the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Everett Silvertips, 4-3. . . . Lipsbergs scored via the PP. . . . Seattle F Ryan Gropp had tied the game 3-3 with a PP goal at 14:19 of the third. . . . Seattle was 4-for-5 on the PP. . . . F Josh Winquist scored his 30^th goal of the season for Everett. He is the eighth skater in franchise history to reach 30 goals in a season. . . . Seattle G Taran Kozun stopped 25 shots. He’s 5-0-0, 1.35, .952 since coming over in a deadline-day swap with Kamloops, where he was 5-19-3, 3.95, .897. . . . It was a Teddy Bear Game and Seattle D Shea Theodore scored the goal. He also had three assists. . . .
The Spokane Chiefs outscored Tri-City 3-2 in the shootout and beat the Americans, 2-1. . . . Attendance was 10,325. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 35 shots, 15 more than Eric Williams of the Chiefs. . . . Spokane D Reid Gow scored his second goal of the season, to go with his 40 assists, all in 41 games.
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From Victoria Royals F Jack Walker: “Got the win and some lady threw her bra on the ice what more could you ask for? #2pts”

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End of an era in Saskatoon today?

THE MacBETH REPORT:

 F Frantisek Mrazek (Red Deer, 1997-99) was released from his tryout with Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic, KHL). He had 18 goals and 10 assists in 44 games with Landshut (Germany, 2. Bundesliga) last season. . . .



F Kirill Starkov (Red Deer, 2006-07) was released by Yuzhny Ural Orsk (Russia, Vysshaya Liga) so he could sign a one-year contract with Esbjerg (Denmark, AL-Bank Liga), the club with which he played his minor hockey. He had six goals and nine assists in 52 games with Oskarshamn (Sweden, Allsvenskan) last season. Starkov was born in Russia but moved to Esbjerg when he was three when his father Oleg signed with the club. Oleg Starkov played nine seasons with Esbjerg after 10 years in the Soviet league. Oleg represented the Soviet Union at the 1983 World Junior Championship in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), where he finished fourth in scoring with six goals and six assists in seven games, eight points behind scoring champion Vladimir Ruzicka, one point ahead of Canada’s scoring leader Dave Andreychuk, and two points ahead of a 17-year-old Mario Lemieux. . . .

F Martin Tomasek (Red Deer, 1996-97) signed a one-year contract with Feldkirch (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had two goals and seven assists in three games with Karvina (Czech Republic, 2. Liga) and 19 goals and 26 assists in 22 games with Neuilly-sur-Marne (France, Division 1) last season. . . .

F Martin Ruzicka (Everett, Lethbridge, 2003-05) signed a one-year contract extension with Trinec (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had 40 goals and 43 assists in 52 games with Trinec last season. Ruzicka led Extraliga in scoring (by 25 points), goals (by 13 goals), and assists (by four over ex-NHL player Martin Straka) last season. . . .


F Lukas Vantuch (Calgary, Lethbridge, 2005-07) signed a one-year contract with Landshut (Germany, DEL2) after a successful tryout. He had one goal and four assists in 31 games with Liberec (Czech Republic, Extraliga), one assist in five games on loan to Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga), and no points in two games with Benatky nad Jizerou (Czech Republic, 1. Liga) last season. . . .



F Jakub Klepis (Portland, 2001-02) signed a one-year contract extension with Lev Prague (Czech Republic, KHL). He had 20 goals and 18 assists in 45 games with Lev last season to lead the team in goals, assists, and scoring.
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Chris Peters of The United States of Hockey writes:
“More research on head trauma is coming out with increased regularity and hopefully those that are running college and junior hockey leagues are paying extremely close attention. This is one of the biggest and most important issues in modern sport. If rules and equipment can’t make a difference, it’s the individuals that have to find a way to.
“That could mean more, stricter rules, but more than anything teams and leagues should be examining how they are going about identifying high-risk incidents, while also examining the diagnosis and treatment of concussions and head trauma in a sports setting.
“The adults in charge of the leagues making money off of these players need to do right by their young people. How to do that in the most effective manner may take years to discover, but the search has to start now, if it hasn’t already. It could be the difference between a few days on the sidelines and the end of a career. Or worse, a life forever altered.”
That entire piece is right here.
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Dan Russell’s Sportstalk will debut on Vancouver radio station CISL (AM 650) on Sept. 29 at 9 p.m.
From a news release:
“Some exciting changes are planned to refresh Sportstalk, starting with the show’s new Sunday to Thursday night time slot. In addition, veteran sports mind Lee Powell will be joining the proceedings. With 35 years of local experience, Powell’s knowledge and credibility run deep when it comes to sports in Vancouver.
“Longtime producer Heath Morgan will be continuing with the Sportstalk team.”
Russell did his final show as the host of Sportstalk on CKNW 980 on Friday night. CKNW had informed him earlier in the summer that his contract wouldn’t be renewed when it expired on Aug. 31.
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It almost certainly will be the end of an era in the WHL today as the board of governors gathers in Calgary today where it is expected to vote unanimously in favour of allowing Saskatoon Blades owner Jack Brodsky to sell the franchise to Edmonton-based auto dealer Mike Priestner. . . . The sale needs two-thirds of the 22 governors to vote in favour in order to pass. But it is expected to be unanimous, simply because of Brodsky’s long-standing relationship with the WHL. The franchise has been in the Brodsky family since 1976. . . . With the sale price said to be north of $9 million, you can bet there will a lot of smiles around the governors’ table today. . . . The Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson reports that Steve Hogle, the vice-president of hockey communications with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, is expected to take over as the Blades’ president.
Matheson’s complete story is right here.
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The Saskatoon Blades have received clearance to use Russian F Nikita Sherbak, who won’t turn 18 until Dec. 30. . . . The Blades received clearance from the IIHF on Tuesday morning, according to Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. . . . Sherbak’s former team, Kapitan Stupino, a Russian junior club, had refused to issue him a release. . . . Sherbak, who had been spending a lot of time riding the bike, skated with the Blades on Tuesday.
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The Prince George Cougars have released G Mac Engel, 20, meaning they will open the season with Brett Zarowny, 18, and Ty Edmonds, 17, as their goaltenders. Zarowny is heading into his second season with the Cougars; Edmonds, from Winnipeg, played last season for the MJHL’s Virden Oil Capitals. . . . The Cougars also released F Jarrett Fontaine, 18. In 133 games with the Cougars over two seasons, the 5-foot-5 Fontaine, who is from Humboldt, Sask., had 27 points, including 10 goals.
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The Everett Silvertips have signed F Patrick Bajkov, D Jordan Wharrie and D Lucas Skrumeda. . . . Bajkov, who turns 16 on Nov. 27, was a sixth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. The Nanaimo, B.C., native had 31 points, including 20 goals, with the major midget North Island Silvertips last season. . . . Wharrie, 16, was taken in the fifth-round of the 2012 bantam draft. From Port Moody, B.C., he had two points in 39 games with the major midget Vancouver North East Chiefs. . . . Skrumeda, a list player, is to turn 17 on Oct. 7. From St. Andrews, Man., he had 28 points in 43 games with the midget AAA Winnipeg Thrashers last season.
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The Portland Winterhawks, the WHL’s defending champions, have nine players heading out to NHL training camps — F Oliver Bjorkstrand, Columbus Blue Jackets; G Brendan Burke, Phoenix Coyotes; F Anton Cederholm, Vancouver Canucks; F Adam de Champlain, Vancouver; D Garrett Haar, Washington Capitals; F Taylor Leier, Philadelphia Flyers; F Brendan Leipsic, Nashville Predators; F Nic Petan, Winnipeg Jets; and D Derrick Pouliot, Pittsburgh Penguins.
All are draft picks, with the exception of de Champlain, who is a free-agent invitee.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors are preparing to have three players depart for NHL camps — D Morgan Rielly, Toronto Maple Leafs; D Travis Brown, Chicago Blackhawks; and F Tanner Eberle, Montreal Canadiens. Rielly and Brown were draft picks; Eberle is on a free-agent tryout.
The 19-year-old Rielly was selected with the fifth overall pick of the 2012 NHL draft. He joined the AHL’s Toronto Marlies when the Warriors’ last season ended, getting into 14 regular-season and eight playoff games. Based on all of that, you have to think he will be given every opportunity to stick with the Maple Leafs.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds will have four roster players attending NHL camps — D Shea Theodore, Anaheim Ducks; F Alexander Delnov, Florida Panthers; F Mitch Elliot, Vancouver Canucks; and D Jared Hauf, Philadelphia Flyers. Theodore and Delnov are draft picks; Elliot and Hauf are free-agent invitees. . . . Seattle F Branden Troock, who was selected by the Dallas Stars in the fifth round of the 2012 draft, continues to recover from offseason shoulder surgery and won’t attend the NHL team’s camp.
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From Portland Winterhawks F Nic Petan (@petan19): “Thankful to be living on a houseboat this year. #portland #view.”
He included this photo.


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Hansch the man in Edmonton

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Kirill Starkov (Red Deer, 2006-07) signed a one-year contract with Yuzhny Ural Orsk (Russia, Vysshaya Liga), the farm club of KHL team Metallurg Magnitogorsk. He had six goals and nine assists in 52 games with Oskarshamn (Sweden, Allsvenskan) last season.
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Randy Hansch was introduced Thursday as the second general manager in the modern era of the Edmonton Oil Kings. The announcement came one day after Bob Green moved up to the parent Edmonton Oilers as director of amateur free-agent scouting. . . . Hansch had been assistant GM and director of player personnel under Green. . . . Hansch joined the Oil Kings for their first season (2007-08) as an expansion team. . . . An Edmonton native, Hansch is a former WHL goaltender who spent 15 seasons working in scouting and player personnel with the Kamloops Blazers. He also has scouted for the NHL’s Calgary Flames and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Alicja Siekierska of the Edmonton Journal has more right here.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings have acquired D Taylor Green, 18, from the Seattle Thunderbirds for a conditional fifth-round selection in the 2014 WHL bantam draft. The 6-foot-7, 227-pound Green, who is from Port Coquitlam, B.C., was selected 26th overall by Seattle in the 2010 bantam draft. Last season, Green had seven points in 65 games. . . . In 69 regular-season games, Green has eight points.
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G Matt Hewitt, who played the last three seasons with the Regina Pats, will attend UBC and play for the Thunderbirds. Hewitt, who is from New Westminster, B.C., played out his eligibility with the Pats last season. . . . With the Thunderbirds, Hewitt will compete with Steven Stanford (Prince Albert, Saskatoon, 2007-11) for playing time.
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F Jeff Ulmer has signed to play for HDD Olimpija Ljubljana in the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga in Austria. Ulmer, 36, is from Regina and is entering his ninth season in Europe. . . . He will be playing in the same league as his brother, Jason, 34, who has signed with EHC Linz. Jason is going into his ninth season in Europe.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Jim McTaggart is out and Tyler Alos is in. That was the story Thursday involving the Seattle Thunderbirds’ coaching staff. . . . McTaggart had been an assistant coach in Seattle for the past eight seasons. . . . Alos, 20, played four seasons with the Thunderbirds before retiring 10 games into last season because of post-concussion syndrome. . . . Alos then joined the club’s staff as a skills coach. . . . A native of Spokane, Alos was a sixth-round selection by the Thunderbirds in the 2008 bantam draft. . . . He will work alongside head coach Steve Konowalchuk and assistant Matt O’Dette, along with goaltender coach Ian Gordon.
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The junior B Revelstoke Grizzlies are looking for another head coach. Kevin MacKay, who stepped into the new job last week, left the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League team on Thursday, citing personal reasons. He was to have replaced James Eccles, who was hired earlier this summer and left for another job shortly afterwards. . . . Kevin Kraus, the GM and head coach last season, is on the coaching staff of the BCHL’s Salmon Arm SilverBacks.
Alex Cooper of the Revelstoke Times Review has more right here.
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From Saskawhat (@saskawhat): “A few notes from my chat with Mark Lamb this week: Confirmed Levi Bews is not expected at training camp but "the door is wide open for him"
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More from Saskawhat: “Bews dealing with personal issues arising from the flooding this summer in Alberta.”
Bews had 36 points, including 21 goals, in 60 games with the Broncos last season. The Longview, Alta., native had 64 points in 189 regular-season games. Bews, 19, also has played with the Saskatoon Blades and Vancouver Giants.

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