Showing posts with label Kody McDonald. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kody McDonald. Show all posts

Saturday, November 5, 2016

WHL comes down on Cougars . . . Changes to Team WHL . . . Pats' offence really on fire

The Prince George Cougars got hit with suspensions totalling 11 games and fines totalling $1,500 for silliness that occurred at the end of a 6-4 loss to the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers on Wednesday night. . . . D Sam Ruopp, the team captain, drew an eight-game suspension for engaging in what was a one-man fight “with an unsuspecting opponent.” That opponent was F Steve Owre of the Tigers. Eight games is believed to be the longest suspension handed out by the WHL since April 11, 2014, when Victoria F Brandon Magee got 12 games after being hit with a match penalty — he twice cross-checked opponents in the head — during a playoff game with the Portland Winterhawks. . . . F Kody McDonald got three games for a slashing major and game misconduct that he took as the game ended. He viciously hacked at Medicine Hat F Chad Butcher at a faceoff. . . . The Cougars were fined $1,000 and head coach Richard Matvichuk got touched for $500 “for actions of players at end of game,” according to the WHL.
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The WHL has scratched F Dillon Dube of the Kelowna Rockets, F Brett Howden of the Moose Jaw Warriors and F Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings from the team that will meet a touring Russian side next week in Prince George (Monday) and Edmonton (Tuesday). . . . All three veterans are out with injuries. . . . Added to Team WHL’s roster were F Brad Morrison (Prince George Cougars), F Lane Pederson (Swift Current Broncos) and F Mason Shaw (Medicine Hat Tigers). . . . For whatever reason, the pooh-bahs have chosen to snub Matt Phillips of the Victoria Royals, who may be the best forward in the WHL. . . . Patrick, the consensus No. 1 selection in the NHL’s 2017 NHL draft, hasn’t played since Oct. 11 and has skated in only six of Brandon’s 16 games. He has sports hernia surgery in July and missed most of training camp.
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F Ethan Leyh of Anmore, B.C., has committed to attend the U of Wisconsin where he will play for the Badgers. Leyh, 15, was an eighth-round selection by the Spokane Chiefs in the 2016 WHL bantam draft. He is playing for the major midget Vancouver-North East Chiefs. Leynh had 13 points, including eight goals, in six games going into the weekend.
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:


At Brandon, D Kale Clague’s third goal of the season broke a 2-2 tie at 9:57 of the third period and the
KALE CLAGUE
Wheat Kings beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 3-2. . . . This was a rematch of last season’s championship final, which the Wheat Kings won in five games. . . . Last night, F Ty Lewis got Brandon on the board with his ninth goal, at 8:51 of the first period. . . . Seattle took the lead with two third-period goals, F Nolan Volcan scoring his sixth just 28 seconds in, and D Turner Ottenbreit getting his second, on a PP, at 1:51. . . . Brandon F Stelio Mattheos, with his seventh, forced OT at 3:48 of the third. Clague drew the primary assist on the goal. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 36 shots, nine more than Rylan Toth of Seattle. . . . Seattle was 1-10 on the PP; Brandon was 0-4. . . . The Wheat Kings (7-6-3) had lost their previous four games (0-4-1). . . . The Thunderbirds (6-7-1) had won two in a row. They are 3-2-0 on their East Division trip. . . . Seattle lost D Ethan Bear with a spearing major and game misconduct at 8:28 of the first period. Chances are that he will be suspended at least for tonight’s game against the Warriors in Moose Jaw. . . . Announced attendance: 3,640.
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At Kamloops, F Deven Sideroff scored once and drew three assists to lead the Blazers to a 5-2 victory
DEVEN SIDEROFF
over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . Sideroff has 10 goals and seven assists in 17 games. . . . The Blazers took control of a 0-0 game with two second-period goals and one early in the third. Sideroff got the game’s first score, at 5:54 of the second, with F Collin Shirley making it 2-0 at 9:04. His eighth goal came via the PP. . . . Kamloops D Ondrej Vala’s fourth goal, at 7:03 of the third period, turned out to be the winner. . . . D Dylan MacPherson got his first goal, at 11:49, to get the Tigers to within two, but Kamloops F Rudolfs Balcers put it away with two goals, giving him nine. . . . F Mark Rassell later scored his 11th for the Tigers. . . . Balcers added an assist to his goals, while F Nick Chyzowski and F Garrett Pilon each had two helpers. . . . The line of Pilon between Sideroff and Balcers totalled nine points. . . . Kamloops G Connor Ingram, who went into the game first in the WHL in save percentage (.936) and second in GAA (2.01) stopped 36 shots. He really was sharp again, this time with Hockey Canada goaltending consultant Fred Brathwaite looking on. . . . The Tigers got 38 saves from G Duncan McGovern. . . . The Blazers (10-8-1) are 2-0-1 in their last three outings. . . . The Tigers (11-5-1) have won their previous three games, all on the road. . . . The Blazers had beaten the Tigers 5-1 in Medicine Hat on Oct. 8. . . . The Tigers were 1-2 on the PP; the Blazers were 1-4. . . . Kamloops was without three injured veteran defencemen — Dawson Davidson, Shaun Dosanjh and Dallas Valentine. . . . The Blazers added D Tylor Ludwar, 17, to their roster for this game — he acquitted himself quite well — and Saturday’s in Prince George. A native of Regina, he has eight points, including five goals, in six games with the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians. . . . Announced attendance: 3,749, the second-largest crowd this season.
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At Moose Jaw, F Tanner Jeannot broke a 1-1 tie at 4:12 of the third period as the Warriors beat the Edmonton Oil Kings, 3-1. . . . Jeannot has five goals. . . . F Noah Gregor gave the home side a 1-0 lead at 17:10 of the first period, with his sixth goal, on a PP. . . . Edmonton F Davis Koch got his fourth goal, on a PP, at 16:01 of the second period. . . . The Warriors got an insurance goal from F Ryan Bowen, his fifth, at 8:38 of the third. . . . F Nikita Popugaev had two assists for the Warriors. . . . G Zach Sawchenko had another strong game for the Warriors, with 36 saves. . . . The Oil Kings got 22 stops from Patrick Dea. . . . Edmonton was 1-3 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 1-4. . . . The Warriors (11-3-2) have won four straight. . . . Edmonton now is 5-9-2. . . . F Tate Popple, 16, made his WHL debut with the Warriors. From Brandon, Popple has 18 points, including 10 goals, in 11 games with the midget AAA Wheat Kings. . . . Announced attendance: 3,019.
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At Prince Albert, G Ian Scott stopped 22 shots to earn the shutout as the Raiders beat the Kootenay Ice,
IAN SCOTT
6-0. . . . It was Scott’s first shutout this season and the second of his career. . . . The game featured the two teams with the league’s poorest records. As a result of the outcome, the Raiders (5-11-1), who had lost their previous four games, moved a point ahead of the Ice (3-10-4), which has lost two straight. . . . F Tim Vanstone scored the game’s first goal, his fourth, at 9:35 of the first period. . . . F Sean Montgomery, scored twice, giving him five goals, with F Cavin Leth (2), F Cole Fonstad (2) and F Adam Kadlec (2) adding one each. . . . F Simon Stransky had two assists, with Vanstone adding one. . . . Ice G Payton Lee stopped 33 shots. . . . The Raiders were 2-4 on the PP; the Ice was 0-3. . . . The Raiders scratched F Luke Coleman with an undisclosed injury. He has been hot, too, having scored three of the team’s last six goals going into this game. . . . Announced attendance: 2,109.
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At Regina, the Pats scored six first-period goals, including two shorthanded scores on the same penalty kill, en route to a 9-6 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Regina (12-0-3) has won eight in a row, the franchise’s longest winning streak since it won nine straight in 2001-02. . . . The Pats, the WHL’s highest-scoring team, were coming off a 10-goal game, having beaten the visiting Kootenay Ice, 10-2, on Wednesday. . . . The Blades (7-9-1) have lost two in a row. . . . The Pats came out of the first period with a 6-2 lead, with F Sam Steel in on three of those goals. He had two goals, giving him 14, and a league-high 28 points. . . . The Blades got to within two, at 6-4, on second-period goals from F Michael Farren (3) and F Gage Ramsey (2). . . . Regina F Filip Ahl’s 10th goal, on a PP at 15:57, gave his guys a three-goal lead. . . . F Logan Christensen (4) scored for Saskatoon, on a PP, at 17:52. . . . Regina put it away with third-period goals from Ahl, on a PP, at 4:15, and F Adam Brooks (6) at 7:29. . . . Saskatoon F Caleb Fantillo closed out the scoring with his first goal at 16:22. . . . F Jake Leschyshyn scored his ninth goal and had three assists for Regina, with D Chase Harrison scoring his third goal and adding one assist and F Austin Wagner getting No. 3 and an assist. . . . Ahl ended up with the winner, his WHL-leading fifth, while Wagner now has a league-leading four shorthanded goals. . . . Brooks added three assists to his goal, with D Connor Hobbs also getting three assists. . . . Fantillo also had an assist, while D Nolan Reid had two of them. . . . G Tyler Brown turned aside 34 shots for Regina. . . . Saskatoon starter Brock Hamm gave up six goals on 17 shots in the first period. Logan Flodell played the last two periods, stopping 27 of 30 shots. . . . Regina was 4-8 on the PP; Saskatoon was 1-6. . . . Regina took 78 of the game’s 155 penalty minutes. Ch-ch-ching! There was a line brawl at 17:11 of the third period that resulted in 107 penalty minutes. . . . The teams don’t play each other again until Dec. 10 in Regina. . . . Announced attendance: 5,658.
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At Spokane, F Michael Spacek’s 10th goal, on a PP at 4:31 of OT, gave the Red Deer Rebels a 4-3 victory over the Chiefs. . . . Red Deer held 2-0 and 3-2 leads before Spokane F Kailer Yamamoto forced extra time with his 11th goal at 16:32 of the third period. . . . Two Rebels — F Jordan Roy and D Ethan Sakowich — scored their first goals to give the visitors a 2-0 lead after one period. . . . Spokane tied it on goals from F Hudson Elynuik (5) and F Keanu Yamamoto (4), the former at 4:32 of the second and the latter 57 seconds into the third period. . . . D Austin Pratt gave Red Deer a 3-2 lead, with his sixth goal, at 7:59. . . . Spacek also had two assists. . . . The Chiefs got two assists from F Curtis Miske. . . . G Riley Lamb stopped 29 shots for the Rebels, with Jayden Sittler stopping 26 for the Chiefs. . . . The Rebels were 1-3 on the PP; the Chiefs were 0-5. . . . Red Deer (9-7-2) had lost four in a row. . . . The Chiefs (6-6-4) are 3-0-2 in their last five games. . . . Announced attendance: 4,603.
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At Swift Current, F Tyler Steenbergen scored at 3:53 of OT to give the Broncos a 3-2 victory over the
TYLER STEENBERGEN
Calgary Hitmen. . . . Steenbergen, who has 13 goals, including three in OT, also scored in OT on Saturday as the Broncos beat the visiting Spokane Chiefs, 3-2. . . . Steenbergen has four goals and two assists over his last three games. . . . F Carsen Twarynski, who has six goals, scored twice for Calgary, giving it a 1-0 lead 50 seconds into the game tying the game 2-2 at 19:33 of the third period. The second one came with G Cody Porter on the bench for the extra attacker. . . . Broncos F Aleksi Heponiemi’s fifth goal pulled the Broncos into a 1-1 tie at 1:15 of the first period. . . . Broncos D Max Lajoie got his second goal, on a PP, at 15:44 of the second period. . . . F Matteo Gennaro and F Jordy Stallard each had two assists for Calgary. . . . G Travis Child earned the victory with 25 saves, three more than Porter. . . . The Broncos were 1-4 on the PP; the Hitmen were 0-3. . . . Swift Current (10-5-3) has points in three straight (2-0-1). . . . The Hitmen (5-5-2) had won their previous two games. . . . Announced attendance: 1,858.
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At Kennewick, Wash., F Michael Rasmussen scored twice and added an assist to help the Tri-City
MICHAEL RASMUSSEN
Americans to a 5-3 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Rasmussen, who has 14 goals, opened the scoring at 1:11 of the first period. . . . Portland F Ryan Hughes got his fifth goal at 4:15. . . . The Americans took control with the next three goals in a span of 5:04. F Morgan Geekie (7) scored on a PP at 11:21, Rasmussen counted at 13:34 — he’s got eight goals in four games against Portland — and F Parker AuCoin (6) got a shorthanded score at 16:25. . . . The Winterhawks got to within a goal when D Carter Czaikowski got his first goal at 12:39 of the second period and F Keegan Iverson (7) scored at 17:36. . . . Geekie got the empty-netter at 19:49. . . . G Rylan Parenteau blocked 31 shots for the Americans. . . . Tri-City D Juuso Valimaki had two assists. . . . Portland starter Cole Kehler was beaten three times on five shots in 13:34. Michael Bullion finished up with 25 saves on 26 shots in 44:51. . . . Tri-City was 1-7 on the PP; Portland was 0-5. . . . The Americans (10-6-1) have won two straight. . . . The Winterhawks (8-9-0) have lost six in a row. . . . Announced attendance: 3,909.
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At Langley, B.C., F Nick Merkley had two goals and an assist to help the Kelowna Rockets to a 6-4
NICK MERKLEY
victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Rockets enjoyed 2-1 and 4-2 leads but it was a goal by F Kole Lind, his seventh, that broke a 4-4 tie at 16:50 of the third period. . . . F Alec Baer, who had two goals and an assist, gave the Giants a 1-0 lead at 6:56 of the first period. . . . Kelowna took a 2-1 lead on goals from F Calvin Thurkauf (7) and Merkley, at 10:09 and 12:46 of the first. . . . Vancouver D Darian Skeoch tied it with his first goal, at 17:15. . . . The Rockets took a 4-2 lead when F Tomas Soustal (7) and D Braydyn Chizen (1) struck for shorthanded goals just three seconds apart — yes, three seconds — at 14:15 and 14:18 of the second period. . . . Baer’s second goal, and second of the season, at 15:49 of the second cut the deficit to one, and F Johnny Wesley’s fourth goal, at 8:42 of the third period, tied it. . . . Merkley got the empty-netter at 18:44. . . . The WHL record for quickest two goals is two seconds. F Pavel Brendl and F Brad Moran set that record with the Calgary Hitmen on Oct. 3, 1998. Brendl’s goal came into an empty net as the Hitmen beat the Red Deer Rebels, 6-4. . . . Soustal and Thurkauf each had two assists. . . . F James Malm had two assists for Vancouver. . . . G Michael Herringer stopped 30 shots for the victory. . . . The Giants got 31 stops from Ryan Kubic. . . . Kelowna was 2-4 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-5. . . . The Rockets improved to 10-8-0, while the Giants are 7-11-0. . . . Announced attendance: 4,286. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reports that Curtis Hunt, the Prince Albert Raiders’ general manager, was in the building.
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At Victoria, F Kaid Oliver’s goal ended an 11-round shootout and gave the Royals a 3-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Victoria F Jack Walker scored two goals, at 1:39 and 18:46 of the first period. He’s got 10 goals. . . . Lethbridge got two goals from F Jesse Zaharichuk, who has eight, at 13:55 of the second period and 16:27 of the third. . . . The Royals scored four times in the shootout, with the Hurricanes getting three. . . . Kaid, a 16-year-old from White Rock, B.C., has one goal and one assist in 19 games. . . . Victoria G Griffen Outhouse stopped 36 shots. . . . Lethbridge G Stuart Skinner turned aside 25 shots. That included stopping Victoria F Matt Phillips on a penalty shot at 1:23 of OT. . . . The Royals were 1-3 on the PP; the Hurricanes were 0-1. . . . Victoria (10-7-2) is 2-0-2 in its last four games. . . . Lethbridge (7-7-3) had won its previous two games. . . . Announced attendance: 4,494.
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LEADERS

POINTS: F Sam Steel, Regina, 28; F Mason Shaw, Medicine Hat, 27; F Kailer Yamamoto, Spokane, F Nikita Popugaev, Moose Jaw, F Cody Glass, Portland, each 24.
GOALS: Steel, F Michael Rasmussen, Tri-City, each 14; F Tyler Steenbergen, Swift Current, 13; F Zak Zborosky, Kootenay, 12; Yamamoto, 11.
ASSISTS: Shaw, 22; F Brayden Burke, Lethbridge, 18; F Chad Butcher, Medicine Hat, Glass, each 17; D Chase Harrison, Regina, 16.
VICTORIES: Nick Schneider, Medicine Hat, Griffen Outhouse, Victoria, each 10; Carter Hart, Everett, Ty Edmonds, Prince George, Michael Herringer, Kelowna, each 9.
GAA: Hart, 1.89; Connor Ingram, Kamloops, 2.01; Ty Edmonds, Prince George, 2.31; Logan Flodell, Saskatoon, 2.38; Cody Porter, Calgary, 2.46.
SAVE %: Ingram, .937; Flodell, .931; Hart, .926; Logan Thompson, Brandon, .922; Outhouse, .920.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Edmonton at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Swift Current at Calgary, 7 p.m.
Portland at Everett, 7:05 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Kelowna, 7:05 p.m.
Seattle at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Kamloops at Prince George, 7 p.m.
Kootenay at Saskatoon, 7:05 p.m.
Tri-City at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Lethbridge vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7 p.m.

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 12:23 AM
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Thursday, November 3, 2016

Ex-OHLer: "For years I lived a life full of lies" . . . Sarthou on verge of return . . . WHL suspends three


The day’s most important hockey-related story appeared at Yahoo! Sports.
“For years I lived a life full of lies,” writes Brock McGillis, a former goaltender who played for the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires. “Growing up in a culture of hockey — minor hockey, the Ontario Hockey League, university hockey, and semi-pro in Europe — I felt I would never be accepted. 
“For years I lived a life of denial, because I am gay. 
“Hockey has always been very homophobic. I can’t count the amount of times I heard phrases like: That’s gay or what a homo in the dressing room over the course of my hockey career. Words like fag, p---y, and b---h are part of the daily banter. Those words are used to belittle players, to weaken and feminize them, because hockey is hyper-masculine, meant for the manliest of men.”
Why did he feel he had to write what he did?
“Cliches like ‘Boys being boys’ and ‘Locker room talk’ were never valid defences – this is why I’m telling my story,” he explains. “I’m telling my story to start a dialogue. If you are gay, lesbian or trans and playing hockey, know that you are not alone. Know that you are not the only one. 
“Know that I am here for you, the way Brendan Burke was there for me, because it gives me an immense sense of pride carrying on his legacy by saying: ‘I can’t wait until the day that you’re out like I am.’ ” His story is right here.  
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G Evan Sarthou, 19, is expected to return to the Tri-City Americans’ lineup this weekend for the first time this season. From Black Diamond, Wash., Sarthou is into his fourth WHL season. He suffered an undisclosed season while with the U.S.’s national junior team during the summer and hasn’t played in a game since then. Last season, he got into 60 games with Tri-City, going 26-28-2, 3.46, .888. . . . The Americans are at home to the Portland Winterhawks tonight (Friday) and then visit the Spokane Chiefs on Saturday. Sarthou is expected to start in Spokane. . . . His return will leave the Americans with three goaltenders on their roster, the others being Rylan Parenteau, 20, who was acquired last month from the Prince Albert Raiders, and freshman Beck Warm, 17. . . . The Americans are expected to keep three goaltenders for a while, if only because Sarthou still may be invited to Team USA’s selection camp.
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The WHL’s office handed out three suspensions on Thursday, two of them to members of the Prince George Cougars. . . . D Sam Ruopp of the Cougars drew a TBD suspension after being involved in what the WHL calls a “one-man fight” in a 6-4 loss to the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers on Wednesday night. F Kody McDonald of the Cougars also drew a TBD suspension after he took a slashing major and game misconduct against the Tigers. . . . Meanwhile, F Leif Mattson of the Kelowna Rockets will sit for four games after taking a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct during a 5-1 loss to the visiting Kamloops Blazers on Tuesday night. Mattson hit D Shaun Dosanjh, who didn’t dress for a 2-1 OT loss to the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes on Wednesday and may not play this weekend. The Blazers are at home to the Medicine Hat Tigers tonight (Friday) and then visit Dosanjh’s previous team, the Prince George Cougars, on Saturday.
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The Spokane Chiefs have dropped D Trent Huitema, 18, from their roster. Huitema, from Chilliwack, B.C., has been on the Chiefs’ protected list for three years and will stay there. He had one goal in six games with Spokane this season. Huitema is expected to end up playing in the BCHL.
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The Saskatoon Blades have released F Chasetan Braid, 19, who was pointless in eight games. He is expected to join the AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats. Braid also has played for the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers.
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The Kamloops Blazers have brought in F Brodi Stuart, 16, for the weekend. According to a news release, Stuart is to practice with the Blazers “and may suit up for the weekend.” . . . Stuart, from Langley, B.C., has 10 points, including five goals, in eight games with the major midget Fraser Valley Thunderbirds. . . . He was a fourth-round pick in the 2014 WHL bantam draft. 
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The SJHL’s La Ronge Ice Wolves, who fired general manager/head coach Shawn Martin on Oct. 23, continued their reorganization on Thursday. No, they haven’t yet hired a new GM/head coach; assistant coach Eric Bell is the acting head coach. Rather, they have fired head scout Sean Phaneuf. They also added Patrick Lacelle as assistant general manager and head scout. Lacelle had been scouting for the Ice Wolves in eastern Canada and the U.S.
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It’s Friday. It’s been a trying week. You need a good laugh. Right? . . . That being the case, you should click right here. Christopher Spata of the Tampa Bay Times tracked down Florida Man — actually, 11 of them — and asked one question: Clinton or Trump? . . . Florida Man? As Spata writes: “Florida Man has made some bad decisions. He has punched swans in Orlando, woken up in garbage trucks in Tampa and called 911 from St. Augustine to brag about his muscles.” . . . It’s all right here and it’s hilarious.
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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THURSDAY’S GAMES:

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

Seattle at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.
Medicine Hat at Kamloops, 7 p.m.
Edmonton at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.
Kootenay at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.
Saskatoon at Regina, 7 p.m.
Red Deer at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.
Calgary at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Portland vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.
Kelowna vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.
Lethbridge at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:12 PM
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Saturday, September 24, 2016

Game fogged out in Brandon . . . Two six-point nights in WHL . . . Tri-City sniper scores four times



Prior to the start of this season, the WHL brought in a rule involving pucks that go into nets off skates. According to the WHL, “Unless the puck is in the goal crease, a puck that enters the net off a player's skate shall be ruled a goal. This will eliminate the need for a decision by the referee and/or video goal judge as to whether it was a distinct kicking motion or not.”
The new rule came into play on Friday in Calgary during a game between the Hitmen and Kootenay Ice.
The Ice led 2-1 when Calgary F Tyler Mrkonjic scored at 1:18 of the third period. Eventually, the game went into OT. Calgary F Mark Kastelic thought he had won the game with 29.3 seconds left in OT.
From the WHL web site:
“In the overtime period, the Hitmen were able to jam a puck past Ice goaltender Payton Lee during a goal-mouth scramble. Igniting the red light, Calgary emptied from its bench, celebrating what appeared to be a victory. Meanwhile, Lee protested and his teammates headed down the hallway to the dressing room.
“Across the ice at the timekeeper’s box, on-ice officials were on the phone with video review and quickly overturned the goal, bringing both teams back to the ice.”
So . . . what happened?
According to a tweet from Brad Curle, the radio voice of the Hitmen, “Video review showed the puck was kicked in. New rule only allows a kick outside the blue crease. He was in the crease.”
Eventually, F Taylor Sanheim’s shootout goal gave Calgary a 3-2 victory.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers are into their second season in the Canalta Centre, but they still aren’t in what is supposed to be a $1.5-million dressing room. In fact, construction on that dressing room hasn’t even started. . . . Ryan McCracken of the Medicine Hat News has more right here.
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As part of their 50th anniversary celebrations, the Brandon Wheat Kings and the Brandon Sun are asking fans to help pick the franchise’s Dream Team — the top 20 players in franchise history.
The online project allows fans to select two goaltenders, six defencemen and 12 forwards from a list
of 50 that is provided. Voting is to begin on Monday at wheatkings.com.
The names on the ballot:
Goalies — Glen Hanlon, Ron Hextall, Trevor Kidd, Tyler Plante.
Defencemen — Keith Aulie, Daryl Boyle, Kevin Cheveldayoff, Don Dietrich, Burke Henry, Dean Kennedy, Justin Kurtz, Brad McCrimmon, Cam Plante, Dwayne Pentland, Ivan Provorov, Ryan Pulock, Wayne Ramsey, Wade Redden, Colby Robak.
Forwards — Ray Allison, Rick Blight, Dan Bonar, Laurie Boschman, Matt Calvert, Dave Chartier, Ron Chipperfield, Ryan Craig, Cory Cyrenne, Bill Derlago, Chris Dingman, Eric Fehr, Ray Ferraro, Scott Glennie, Kelly Glowa, Jayce Hawryluk, Bobby House, Mike Leclerc, Byron Lomow, Dale McMullin, Marty Murray, Robbie Neale, Steve Patrick, Brian Propp, Darren Ritchie, Peter Schaefer, Brayden Schenn, Mark Stone, Ryan Stone, Jordin Tootoo, Terry Yake.
Results of the voting will be revealed in January.
The Wheat Kings, who won the Ed Chynoweth Cup last season, dropped the puck on the 50th anniversary party at home on Saturday night. On hand to help things get started were some familiar names, like former team captains Bob Ash, Bill Fairbairn and Ted Taylor. Also there were Bruce Bonk Jack Borotsik, Ray Brownlee, Bob Clyne, Roy McLachlan and Ted Temple, all of whom played on Brandon’s first WCHL team in 1967-68.
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JUST NOTES:

F Keegan Kolesar of the Seattle Thunderbirds has suffered an undisclosed injury while in the training camp of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. On Saturday afternoon, Aaron Portzline, who covers the Blue Jackets for the Columbus Dispatch, tweeted: “Add LW Keegan Kolesar to the (Columbus) injured list. Club not saying what the injury is.” . . . Kolesar, 19, had 61 points, including 30 goals, in 64 games with Seattle last season, his third in the WHL. The Blue Jackets selected him in the third round of the NHL’s 2015 draft. . . . 
When Everett scored seven goals in beating the host Vancouver Giants, 7-3, on Friday night, the Silvertips matched their single-game goal-scoring high from last season. They counted seven times in a 7-4 victory over the Chiefs in Spokane on Dec. 16. . . . 
The Kamloops Blazers opened with a 9-2 victory over the visiting Kelowna Rockets on Friday. It marked the third time in franchise history that the Blazers had scored nine times in a home-opener against Kelowna. Kamloops won 9-5 on Sept. 29, 1982, and on Oct. 2, 1983. . . . The Blazers’ most lopsided home-opening victory came on Sept. 23, 1994 when they beat the Portland Winterhawks, 11-1. 
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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SATURDAY GAMES:


At Brandon, the Moose Jaw Warriors held a 2-1 lead over the Wheat Kings when the game was suspended due to a persistent problem with fog on the ice. . . . Humidity in Brandon was as high as 100 per cent on Saturday. . . . Ron Robison, the WHL commissioner, was in the building and a decision was made at 14:23 of the second period to suspend the game. The Wheat Kings later released this statement: “Due to the safety of the players, the WHL has postponed the conclusion of tonight’s game. The balance of this game will be played at a date to be determined.” . . . Later, the decision was made to finish the game on Nov. 2 when the Warriors next are scheduled to visit Brandon. Players who now are in NHL camps will be back by then so both teams will have rosters different from what was on display last night. . . . F Brayden Watts gave the Warriors a 1-0 lead at 11:23 of the first period. . . . Brandon F Stelio Mattheos tied it 31 seconds into the second period. . . . The Warriors took a 2-1 lead when F Nikita Popugaev scored at 14:23 of the second period, at which point the game was halted. . . . The Warriors had beaten the visiting Wheat Kings 3-2 in OT on Friday night. . . . Perry Bergson of the Brandon Sun reported that Wheat Kings G Jordan Papirny was watching the video screen whenever the puck was in the Moose Jaw zone because he couldn’t see it through the fog. . . . In Brandon, the player benches are across the ice from each other. Brandon head coach David Anning told Bergson that the fog was so thick at ice level he could hardly see the Warriors’ bench. . . . Announced attendance: Unavailable.
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At Edmonton, F Lane Bauer’s shootout goal gave the Oil Kings a 4-3 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . This was the first hockey game to be played at Rogers Place, the new arena that will be home to the Oil Kings and the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. It was 90 minutes later in starting after a hydraulic lift broke down on the ice surface prior to the pregame warmups. . . . Bauer had been in camp with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, but was returned in time to play in the season-opening doubleheader. D Aaron Irving was returned with Bauer and scored the OT winner on Friday when the Oil Kings won 3-2 in Red Deer. . . . F Trey Fix-Wolansky of the Oil Kings scored the first goal in the new facility, 22 seconds into the second period, on a PP, as he snapped home a shot from the top of the right circle. . . . Later, the Oil Kings thought Fix-Wolansky had scored in OT but officials waived it off. . . . F Evan Polei and F D-Jay Jerome gave Red Deer a 2-1 lead early in the second period, only to have Bauer tie it at 12:16. . . . Jerome’s second goal of the game put Red Deer out front at 13:50. . . . Edmonton F Tyler Robertson tied it again, at 18:40 of the second. . . . Irving had two assists, while Fix-Wolansky, Bauer and Robertson each added an assist to their goals. . . . F Jordan Roy had two assists for the Rebels, with Jerome also getting an assist. . . . G Patrick Dea stopped 24 shots for Edmonton, with Trevor Martin blocking 41 for the Rebels. . . . Edmonton was 3-3 on the PP; Red Deer was 0-2. . . . Announced attendance: 18,102.
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At Everett, F Matt Fonteyne broke a 1-1 tie at 18:13 of the second period and the Silvertips went on to a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Silvertips swept the weekend doubleheader, having won 7-3 in Langley, B.C., on Friday night. . . . F Graham Millar, with his third goal in two games, got Everett going at 3:30 of the first period. . . . F Jack Flaman pulled the Giants even at 16:53 of the second. . . . F Brett Kemp added some Everett insurance at 4:15 of the third. . . . F Patrick Bajkov and D Kevin Davis each had two assists for Everett. . . . G Lasse Petersen stopped 12 shots for Everett, while Vancouver’s Ryan Kubic turned aside 28. . . . Everett was 1-5 on the PP; Vancouver was 0-4. . . . The Giants, already without injured forwards Tyler Benson and Thomas Foster and D Ryely McKinstry (concussion), lost D Matt Barberis and D Marcus Kichton on Friday. They brought in D Alex Kannok-Leipert of Regina to help out last night. Kannok-Leipert, 16, was a fourth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . F Taden Rattie, whose acquisition from the Red Deer Rebels was announced late Friday, was in Vancouver’s lineup. . . . Announced attendance: 5,308.
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At Kelowna, Riley Stadel, a defenceman turned forward, scored twice to help the Rockets to a 5-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Stadel scored twice in 56 games last season. . . . The Blazers had beaten the visiting Rockets 9-2 on Friday night. . . . The Rockets dressed 16 skaters, two under the maximum. That included freshman F Nolan Foote, who had been out with mononucleosis. . . . D Cal Foote, Nolan’s older brother, had three assists for Kelowna, with F Rod Southam getting two. . . . Kelowna G Michael Herringer blocked 25 shots, losing his shutout bid at 11:23 of the third period when F Rudolfs Balcers scored on a PP. . . . Kamloops starter Dylan Ferguson was beaten twice on 14 shots in the first period. Carter Phair played the last two periods, stopping 16 of 19 shots. . . . Kelowna was 2-5 on the PP; Kamloops was 1-5. . . . Announced attendance: 5,348.
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At Cranbrook, B.C., D Micheal Zipp scored with 42 seconds left in OT to give the Calgary Hitmen a 2-1 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . It was the second night in a row that the two teams went to extra time. On Friday, in Calgary, the Hitmen won 3-2 in the shootout. . . . Calgary F Andrew Fyten opened the scoring at 7:22 of the first period. . . . The Ice tied it when D Cale Fleury scored at 3:26 of the second. . . . The Hitmen got 31 stops from G Kyle Dumba, while Payton Lee turned aside 34 for the Ice. . . . Calgary was 0-5 on the PP; Kootenay was 0-4. . . . Announced attendance: 1,997.
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At Medicine Hat, the Tigers scored four PP goals en route to a 9-3 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . One night earlier, the host Hurricanes had posted a 4-2 victory. . . . A third-period donnybrook resulted in 142 penalty minutes and no doubt will result in — ch-ch-ching! — fines and suspensions. . . . F Chad Butcher had a goal and five assists for the Tigers, with F Zach Fischer scoring three times and D Clayton Kirichenko earning three assists. F Mark Rassell had two goals and an assist, F Matt Bradley scored once and added an assist, and F Mason Shaw had two assists. . . . Fischer, a 19-year-old from Lloydminster, Alta., had eight goals in 35 games last season after scoring four times in 54 games as a freshman in 2014-15. . . . Freshman D Calen Addison had two assists for Lethbridge, giving him four points in two games, and F Zane Franklin had a goal and an assist. . . . Tigers G Duncan McGovern stopped 15 of 17 shots, with Jake Morrissey playing the last 12:11 and allowing one goal on three shots. . . . Lethbridge starter Stuart Skinner was beaten six times on 34 shots, with reliever Ryan Gilchrist stopping 11 of 14. . . . The  Tigers were 4-8 on the PP; the Hurricanes were 2-10. . . . Referees Chris Crich and Adam Bloski doled out 190 minutes in penalties, including a game misconduct to Lethbridge head coach Brent Kisio. . . . Announced attendance: 4,178.
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At Portland, F Ryan Hughes had a goal and two assists, while F Evan Weinger had three assists, as the Winterhawks opened with a 7-3 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The teams exchanged goals and were 3-3 early in the third period when the Winterhawks exploded for four goals. . . . Seattle F Donovan Neuls pulled his mates into a 3-3 tie 31 seconds into the third period. . . . Portland F Cody Glass broke the tie at 12:19 and F Brendan De Jong added insurance, on a PP, at 14:53. . . . The game’s last goal, at 19:40, went to Portland F Brad Ginnell, a grandson to the late Pat Ginnell, who was a legendary WHL coach and executive. . . . Glass also had an assist, while D Keoni Texeira had a goal and an assist. . . . The game marked a successful return to the Portland bench for GM/head coach Mike Johnston after a two-year absence. . . . G Michael Bullion stopped 27 shots for Portland, one fewer than Seattle’s Rylan Toth. . . . The Winterhawks were 2-4 on the PP; the Thunderbirds were 0-1. . . . Announced attendance: 8,705.
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At Prince Albert, F Jake Leschyshyn scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Regina Pats to a 4-2 victory over the Raiders. . . . That allowed the Pats to split the weekend series, the Raiders having won 4-3 in OT in Regina on Friday. . . . F Kolten Olynek gave the Raiders a 2-1 lead with a PP goal at 7:23 of the second period. . . . F Lane Zablocki’s PP goal pulled Regina into a tie at 9:48. . . . F Braydon Buziak got what proved to the winner at 17:01. . . . Leschyshyn, who had scored the game’s first goal, got the empty-netter at 17:57 of the third. . . . Zablocki added an assist to his goal. . . . The Raiders got two assists from F Simon Stransky, giving him five points in two games. . . . F Austin Glover had a goal and an assist for for the Raiders. . . . Regina G Jordan Hollett stopped 28 shots, 13 fewer than Prince Albert’s Ian Scott. . . . Regina was 1-3 on the PP; Prince Albert was 1-7. . . . The Raiders were without D Loch Morrison and D Cody Paivarinta, so had D Adam Herold, 15, in their lineup. From Montmartre, Sask., he was a second-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft. . . . The Raiders also got back F Drew Warkentine after he finished serving a three-game suspension. . . . Announced attendance: 2,719.
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At Kennewick, Wash., F Michael Rasmussen and F Vladislav Lukin combined for seven goals as the Tri-City Americans beat the Spokane Chiefs, 8-3. . . . Rasmussen, seen as a likely early first-round selection in the 2017 NHL draft, scored the game’s first three goals, completing the hat trick at 16:22 of the first period. He got his fourth goal at 19:00 of the second. . . . It was the first four-goal game for a Tri-City player since F Brendan Shinnimin did it on Feb. 26, 2012, in a 5-1 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash. . . . Rasmussen, 18, from Surrey, B.C., had 18 goals — including one two-goal game — in 63 games as a freshman last season. He was the seventh-overall pick in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . Lukin, a Russian in his third season, scored two second-period goals and then got the game’s final goal, at 17:20 of the third period. He also had three assists, giving him a six-point night. . . . Lukin had 48 points, including 21 goals, last season, after putting up 12 points, seven of them goals, in 52 games in 2014-15. This was his first WHL hat trick. . . . F Morgan Geeie had a goal and two assists for Tri-City. F Tyler Sandhu and F Parker AuCoin each had three assists for the winners, with D Juuso Valimaki getting two. . . . The Chiefs got a goal and two assists from each of the Yamamoto brothers, Keanu, who was playing in his 200th regular-season game, and Kailer. D Ty Smith added two assists. . . . G Warm Beck blocked 23 shots for the Americans. Spokane starter Jayden Sittler surrendered four goals on 25 shots, with Matt Berlin coming on to stop six of seven. . . . Announced attendance: 4,352.
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At Victoria, F Kody McDonald scored twice as the Prince George Cougars skated to a 5-1 victory over the Royals. . . . The Cougars swept the two games on Vancouver Island as they had won 3-1 on Friday night. . . . On Saturday, they took control with goals 10 seconds apart early in the first period. F Justin Almeida opened the scoring at 6:10 and McDonald added another at 6:20. . . . F Brad Morrison and F Jared Bethune each had four assists for the Cougars, while F Colby McAuley scored his third goal in two games. . . . G Nick McBride stopped 36 shots for the Cougars. Victoria starter Griffen Outhouse allowed three goals on six shots in 9:09. Dylan Myskiw came on to finish up and stopped 20 of 22. . . . Each team was 0-5 on the PP. . . . Announced attendance: 3,795.
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SUNDAY GAMES (all times local):

Swift Current at Saskatoon, 2:05 p.m.

Tri-City at Portland, 5 p.m.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 10:41 PM
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Thursday, September 22, 2016

A few veterans to miss Opening Night . . . Patrick tops McKenzie rankings . . . Chiefs trying to trade goaltender


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Some opening day notes . . .

The Prince George Cougars are in Victoria to open with a doubleheader against the Royals and will have F Kody McDonald and F Brad Morrison in their lineup. McDonald had been with the NHL’s New York Islanders, while Morrison was with the New York Rangers. . . . 

 The Victoria Royals still have four players at NHL camps — F Matt Phillips (Calgary Flames), D Chaz Reddekopp (Los Angeles Kings), F Tyler Soy (Anaheim Ducks) and F Jack Walker (Toronto Maple Leafs). . . . The Royals did get back D Ralph Jarratt from the New Jersey Devils. . . .

 The Moose Jaw Warriors have one of their two goaltenders back in the fold. Brody Willms, 18, returned after a stint with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. Veteran Zach Sawchenko remains with the Nashville Predators. . . . The Warriors also have G Adam Evanoff, a 10th-round selection from the 2015 bantam draft, on their roster. He’s a 16-year-old from Penticton. . . .

 The Kelowna Rockets remain without two NHL first-round draft selections. F Nick Merkley, taken 30th overall in 2015, remains with the Arizona Coyotes, while D Lucas Johansen, selected 28th overall in 2016, is with the Washington Capitals. Merkley, of course, is coming off knee surgery that prematurely ended his 2015-16 season. . . .

 The Kamloops Blazers, who go home-and--home with the Kelowna Rockets this weekend, had nine players in NHL camps, but six of those players have returned. Still in the NHL are G Connor Ingram (Tampa Bay Lightning), F Deven Sideroff (Anaheim Ducks) and F Garrett Pilon (Washington Capitals). . . . The Blazers and Rockets are to meet Friday in Kamloops and Saturday in Kelowna. . . .

 The Vancouver Giants will open their first season at the Langley Events Centre without F Tyler Benson and F Thomas Foster. . . . Benson, who suffered a shoulder injury during the WHL exhibition season, remains with the Edmonton Oilers and apparently has been cleared to resume full practices. . . . Foster was returned to Vancouver by the Oilers but came back with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Giants also got D Dmitri Osipov back from the Chicago Blackhawks. . . . Still in NHL camps are F Ty Ronning (New York Rangers), F Radovan Bondra (Chicago) and F Darian Skeoch (Anaheim Ducks). . . .  The Giants may end up dressing only 16 skaters when they open against the visiting Everett Silvertips tonight. . . .

 The Red Deer Rebels will have F Grayson Pawlenchuk and D Colton Bobyk on hand as they open the season at home to the Edmonton Oil Kings on Friday night. Pawlenchuk was in camp with the Dallas Stars, while Bobyk was with the New York Rangers. . . . But the Rebels don’t expect to see F Brandon Hagel (Buffalo Sabres), D Josh Mahura (Anaheim Ducks), F Adam Musil (St. Louis Blues) or F Michael Spacek (Winnipeg Jets). They may also be without F Jeff de Wit (Detroit Red Wings). . . .

 The host Regina Pats and Prince Albert Raiders could be missing as many as 10 players when they open the regular season Friday night at the Brandt Centre. . . . The Pats are without F Adam Brooks (Toronto Maple Leafs), F Sam Steel (Anaheim Ducks), D Connor Hobbs (Washington Capitals), F Austin Wagner (Los Angeles Kings) and D Serbey Zborovskiy (New York Rangers). . . . Still missing, at least as of Thursday evening, from Prince Albert are F Reid Gardiner (Pittsburgh Penguins), D Brendan Guhle (Buffalo Sabres), G Rylan Parenteau (Vancouver Canucks), D Vojtech Budik (Buffalo) and F Luke Coleman (Detroit Red Wings). . . . 

 The Edmonton Oil Kings have F Lane Bauer and D Aaron Irving back in camp. Both are expected to play Friday against the host Red Deer Rebels. . . . Bauer and Irving both had been with the Edmonton Oilers. . . . 

 The Saskatoon Blades will be missing at least three veterans as they open Friday night against the Broncos in Swift Current. F Ryan Graham returned from the Ottawa Senators with a leg injury, while F Cam Hebig has an undisclosed injury. . . . D Libor Hajek remains in camp with the Tampa Bay Lightning. . . . 

 The Swift Current Broncos have settled on their goaltending tandem, choosing to go with Taz Burman, who was acquired last season from the Seattle Thunderbirds, and Travis Child. . . . Burman, 20, is preparing for his fourth WHL season, the first three of which were with the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Child, 19, is into his third season with the Broncos. . . . The Broncos have released G Bailey Brkin from their roster. Brkin, 17, is from Sherwood Park, Alta. Last season, he got into 23 games with the Coeur d’Alene Hockey Academy prep team of the Canadian Sport School Hockey League. . . . 

 F Joachim Blichfeld has been returned to the Portland Winterhawks by the NHL’s San Jose Sharks. Blichfeld, an 18-year-old from Denmark, was a seventh-round pick by the Sharks in the NHL’s 2016 draft. He is going into his first WHL season. . . . The Winterhawks also have Finnish D Henri Jokiharju, 17, and veteran F Rodrigo Abols of Latvia on their roster. Abols, 20, is in camp with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. . . . With WHL teams allowed to keep a maximum of two import players, the Winterhawks will have to make a decision of Abols should return.
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Bob McKenzie, the original hockey insider, has released his top 15 preseason rankings of players eligible for the NHL’s 2017 draft. Until further notice, he says he is referring to this one as The Nolan Patrick Draft, so you know that the Brandon Wheat Kings centre, who is into his third season, is No. 1. By the way, Brandon owner Kelly McCrimmon has told McKenzie that Patrick, who missed all of the exhibition season after undergoing sports hernia surgery in July, will play Friday night against the Warriors in Moose Jaw. . . . McKenzie’s rankings are right here, and they include three WHLers in the top 15. . . . Just let me say that I fully expect Tri-City Americans F Michael Rasmussen, who is at No. 13, to climb up some of these lists before the draft gets here.
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The Spokane Chiefs are trying to trade veteran G Tyson Verhelst, 19, who didn’t report to training camp. Verhelst, from Kemnay, Man., was a third-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. He played in 55 games with the Chiefs last season, going 23-22-5, 3.16, .892.  When he didn’t report to camp, then-GM Tim Speltz said that Verhelst was quitting hockey. Speltz indicated that the Chiefs knew in advance that would happen, which is why they acquired G Jayden Sittler, 20, from the Lethbridge Hurricanes. “It’s a tough one,” Speltz told Thomas Clouse of the Spokane Spokesman-Review at the time. “(Verhelst) had an injury. He suddenly lost his passion. When we traded for Sittler, I knew we were in trouble.” . . . Scott Carter, who has replaced Speltz as GM now that the latter is scouting with the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, told Spokesman-Review columnist John Blanchette this week that the Chiefs have a goaltender on their suspended list and trying to trade him. That goaltender is Verhelst, who apparently still wants to play.
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The Prince George Cougars have signed F Brendan Kochanski, a 6-foot-3, 205-pounder who was a free-agent invitee to training camp. A Winnipegger, Kochanski, 18, played the last two seasons with the midget AAA Winnipeg Thrashers. Last season, he had eight goals and 10 assists in 37 games, along with 136 penalty minutes. . . . The Cougars are carrying 32 players, including three goaltenders and 11 defencemen. . . . 
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The Brandon Wheat Kings have released veteran F Jaeger White, an 18-year-old from Medicine Hat who was a third-round pick by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the 2013 bantam draft. He began last season with Lethbridge, putting up a goal and two assists in 23 games. He then was pointless in three games with the Everett Silvertips. With Brandon, he had one assist in 13 games. . . . Brandon now has 16 forwards on its roster.
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JUST NOTES:

The Moose Jaw Warriors have dropped F Tyler Smithies, 16, from their roster. A list player from Calgary. Smithies is expected to return to the midget AAA Leduc Oil Kings. He had 12 points, including five goals, in 33 games with the Oil Kings last season. . . . 
F Adam Musil has been named captain of the Red Deer Rebels, although he still is in camp with the St. Louis Blues. F Scott Eansor will wear the ‘C’ with the Seattle Thunderbirds and F Wyatt Sloboshan is the new captain of the Saskatoon Blades. . . .
F Chase Lang, who is eligible to return for his 20-year-old season with the Vancouver Giants, is in camp with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, but is listed as being out week-to-week with a back injury.
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Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.
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THURSDAY GAMES:

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

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

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

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.
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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 9:50 PM
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Wednesday, May 15, 2013

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Michal Psurny (Medicine Hat, Kootenay, 2005-06) signed a one-year contract extension with Manchester Phoenix (England, Premier). He had 43 goals and 46 assists in 52 games to lead the Phoenix in scoring this season. Psurny was fifth in league scoring and was named to the
Premier League's second all-star team. . . .
F Vitali Karamnov (Everett, 2007-08) signed a two-year contract with Sibir Novosibirsk (Russia, KHL). He had two goals and two assists in 37 games with Lev Prague (Czech Republic, KHL) this season. . . .
F Zdenek Blatny (Seattle, Kootenay, 1998-2001) signed a one-year contract with Orli Znojmo (Czech Republic, Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had eight goals and eight assists in 33 games for Vienna Capitals (Austria, Erste Bank Liga) this season.
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"If you are reading this, I am dead." . . . Peter Worthington, one of the greats of Canadian journalism, wrote his own obituary. It’s right here and it’s worth a read.
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There was a shakeup in the office of the Regina Pats on Tuesday as owner Russ Parker announced that his son, Brent, is stepping down as governor and president. . . . General manager Chad Lang, who joined the Pats over the summer of 2010, has had the titles of governor and senior vice-president added to his portfolio. . . . Cliff Mapes remains as vice-president of business operations. . . . Brent Parker had been in the Pats' front office for 18 years, ever since Russ and Diane Parker purchased the franchise in 1995. According to a Pats news release: "(Brent) Parker will assist in the transition with respect to organizational structure over the next few weeks with an anticipated full departure from the organization being early in June."
Why is Parker leaving?
"It has been an accumulation of many, many things," he told a news conference. "The last five years have been the hardest for me personally, from my diagnosis of cancer five years ago to illnesses, accidents and deaths of some of our former players and close friends. That was on top of the daily - and yes I do mean daily - battles that we have with our building partner." The building partner? That would be Evraz Place, which runs the Brandt Centre, the facility the Pats call home."
Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has more right here.
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Russ Parker says he and his wife, Diane, aren't yet ready to sell the Regina Pats. However, he admits that the day will come when that will happen. Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has that story right here.
When that day does arrive, you have to wonder if the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders might be a potential buyer? Hey, why not? NHL teams already own WHL franchises in Edmonton and Calgary, and one day the Winnipeg Jets' owners are likely to own one, too. So why not have the country's most-popular CFL team involved in the WHL at the ownership level? And just think of the outdoor games they could play host to once the new football stadium has been built.
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The Prince Albert Raiders have re-signed general manager Bruno Campese and Dale Derkatch, the director of player personnel, to new contracts, each one calling for two years plus an option. . . . Campese has been with the Raiders since 2007, first as head coach, then as general manager and head coach, then as general manager. . . . Derkatch, a former WHL star with the Regina Pats, has been with the Raiders through three bantam drafts.
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The Prince George Cougars have signed F Kody McDonald, the 24th overall selection in the 2013 bantam draft, to a WHL contract. Playing for the bantam AAA team at the Pursuit Of Excellence in Kelowna, he had 124 points, including 45 goals, in 47 games. McDonald, from Lethbridge, is the third player from Turning Point Sports Management’s stable to sign since the draft.
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So much for the Wenatchee Wild moving to the BCHL. The Wild, which has been embroiled in a battle for a new lease in Wenatchee, is on the move, but not to the BCHL. Instead, the NAHL franchise is relocating to Hidalgo, Texas, where it will operate as the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees starting next season. . . . In a news release, team president Bill Stewart said he expects head coach Bliss Littler and his staff to be part of the relocation. . . . The Wild will play out of State Farm Arena, a facility that seats 5,500 for hockey. . . . According to the Wild news release, "A presentation to and final approval by the USA Hockey junior council is expected in June."
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The Vancouver Giants announced Tuesday that Bruce Allen, a well-known manager in the entertainment business, has bought into the ownership group. As well, the Giants announced that they have signed three 2013 bantam draft picks – F Tyler Benson, F Matt Barberis and D Ryley McKinstry. . . . Benson was the first overall pick in the draft after putting up 146 points, including 57 goals, in 33 games with the Alberta Major Bantam League’s Edmonton South Side Athletic Club Southgate Lions. . . . Barberis, from Surrey, B.C., was another first-round pick, taken 20th overall. He had 48 points in 58 games with the Burnaby Winter Club Bruins. . . . McKinstry, from Calgary, was selected with the 23rd pick. He had 36 points in 29 games with the bantam AAA Calgary Bisons. . . . Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun has more on all of this right here. He also touches on how the Giants aren't interested in having Benson apply for exceptional status, but majority owner Ron Toigo wants to see the five-game rule bumped to 10 games. As things now stand, a 15-year-olds is only allowed to play five games before his club team has its season end.
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Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province starts a dispatch on Bruce Allen joining the Vancouver Giants ownership group with:
Bruce Allen is a minority owner with the Vancouver Giants now. He’s certainly not a silent partner, though.
"I just think there’s been an alienation for a lot of hockey fans from that organization up the street," Allen said at the official announcement Tuesday.
There’s more right here.
It’s interesting that Allen talks about team owners being in the entertainment business and how he feels he can make a difference from that angle. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in terms of the Giants as an entertainment vehicle.
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The Tri-City Americans have dealt D Clint Filbrandt, 18, to the Kootenay Ice for a fifth-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft. From Calgary, Filbrandt was a 10th-round pick in the 2010 bantam draft. The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder had three points and 17 penalty minutes in 31 games as a freshman this season. . . . "With an abundance of defencemen signed for the upcoming season, I wanted to give Clint an opportunity to continue to play in the WHL," Tri-City general manager Bob Tory said in a news release. . . . "With the uncertain future of Tanner Muth and whether he will able to return to our club next year we felt it was important to add another defenceman with WHL experience," Ice GM Jeff Chynoweth said in a news release. "Defencemen are tough to come by at all levels and this trade will give Clint an opportunity to be an everyday player with our club."
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The Augusta RiverHawks of the Southern Professional Hockey League have ceased operations. "We, as an organization, have not received any positive information concerning the replacement of the ice system at the James Brown Arena," the team said in a news released. "A May 12th deadline was communicated to the building manager back at the end of March or the beginning of April. We also have not received any information concerning monetary compensation for the loss of the Arena for the eight games that were to be played in the James Brown Arena in March of this year. We are taking a leave from League play with the approval from the League's governors for one season. Hopefully, something can be done in the greater CSRA to bring hockey back the following year. We will retain our franchise."
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The OHL’s London Knights have been selected as the host team for the 2014 Memorial Cup. The OHL’s selection committee chose London over the Barrie Colts and Windsor Spitfires. . . . The 2014 tournament will run May 16-25 at Budweiser Gardens. . . . The Knights won the Memorial Cup as the host team in 2005. . . . The decision means that the Knights will appear in three straight Memorial Cup tournaments. They lost in the final of the 2012 tournament, will compete in the 2013 affair in Saskatoon and now will be the host team in 2014.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The MJHL's Swan Valley Stampeders have signed Erik Peterson as their new general manager and head coach. Peterson, who is from Dauphin, Man., has spent the past 10 seasons coaching in Denmark. As a player, he won MJHL titles with the Dauphin Kings and Winnipeg South Blues. He replaces Dwayne Kirkup, who left the Stampeders to take over as GM and head coach of the MJHL's Neepawa Natives. . . .
Chad Kletzel is leaving the Kootenay Ice after one season as an assistant coach under head coach Ryan McGill. . . . "With the impending birth of their first child, Chad has decided to return to Lethbridge to resume his teaching career," Jeff Chynoweth, the Ice’s president, governor and general manager, said in a news release.

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Posted by Gregg Drinnan at 1:39 AM
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