Generals work OT to win Memorial Cup . . . Appleby stones Rockets . . . Cirelli next mayor of Oshawa?

The 2015 #MCMemorialCup Champion @Oshawa_Generals! pic.twitter.com/S4w9vwWEqV

— 2015 MC Memorial Cup (@MCMemorialCup) June 1, 2015

In the end, the Kelowna Rockets simply couldn’t score when they needed it the most. Oh, they had plenty of chances on Sunday, but they were only able to score once and that wasn’t enough as the Oshawa Generals skated to a 2-1 OT victory in the championship final of the Memorial Cup tournament in Quebec City. . . . Attendance was 10,391. . . . F Anthony Cirelli, a 17-year-old finishing up his freshman season, scored both Oshawa goals. The winner came off a rebound at 1:28 of extra time. . . . F Tomas Soustal gave the Rockets a 1-0 lead with his first goal of the tournament, at 15:08 of the first period. . . . Cirelli, an undrafted

free agent who walked on with the Generals and earned a spot on the roster, tied it with his first Memorial Cup goal at 13:50 of the second. . . . The star of the game was Oshawa G Ken Appleby, who turned aside 37 shots, making 13 more saves than Kelowna’s Jackson Whistle. . . . The Generals were 0-for-2 on the PP; the Rockets were 0-for-1. . . . The referees were the OHL’s Mike Cairns and the WHL’s Brett Iverson. . . . Kelowna F Leon Draisaitl, who was held pointless in Sunday’s game, was chosen the tournament’s MVP. . . . Not to take away from his performance, but Appleby was 4-0 in the tournament, including a terrific game yesterday. . . . Oshawa head coach DJ Smith now has won three Memorial Cups. He was an assistant coach with the Windsor Spitfires when they won in 2009 and 2010. In 2009, in Rimouski, Que., Windsor beat Kelowna 4-1 in the final. . . . In the regular season, Cirelli had 36 points, including 13 goals, in 68 games. He followed that up with six points, one of them a goal, in 16 OHL playoff games. . . . The Generals last won the Memorial Cup in 1990. . . . The tournament drew 79,930 fans, a per-game average of 8,881. . . . The 2016 Memorial Cup is scheduled to be played in Red Deer. The tournament last was played in Alberta in 1974 when the Regina Pats won it in Calgary.
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Here is the Memorial Cup schedule:
Friday, May 22: Kelowna 3 vs. Quebec 4 (9,497)
Saturday, May 23: Rimouski 3 vs. Oshawa 4 (8,409)
Sunday, May 24: Quebec 4 vs. Oshawa 5 (OT) (10,970)
Monday, May 25: Rimouski 3 vs. Kelowna 7 (6,981)
Tuesday, May 26: Oshawa 2 vs. Kelowna 1 (7,002)
Wednesday, May 27: Quebec 0 vs. Rimouski 4 (10,277)
Thursday, May 28 (tiebreaker): Quebec 5 vs. Rimouski 2 (6,533)
Friday, May 29 (semifinal): Kelowna 9 vs. Quebec 3 (9,870)
Sunday, May 31 (championship): Oshawa 2 vs. Kelowna 1 (OT) (10,391)
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Every time I hear it referred to as the "Mastercard" Memorial Cup, I die just a little inside.

— Ken Campbell (@THNKenCampbell) June 1, 2015

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Might Kelly McCrimmon, the owner, general manager and head coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings, end up with the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs? That’s just one of the things Elliotte Friedman touches on in his weekly 30 Thoughts. It’s right here.
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In the ECHL, F Sean Dolan broke a 3-3 tie with a shorthanded goal at 11:30 of the third period as the visiting South Carolina Stingrays opened the championship final with a 4-3 victory over the Allen Americans. . . . Attendance was 4,047. . . . F Spencer Asuchak of Kamloops scored once for Allen and was named the game’s third star. . . . The final is using a 3-3-1 format, with Game 2 in Allen on Tuesday.
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In the AHL, the Utica Comets scored three first-period goals and went on to beat the host Grand Rapids Griffins 3-2 in Game 5 of the Calder Cup final. . . . The Comets lead the Western Conference final 3-2 with Game 6 in Utica on Tuesday. . . . Former WHLers Wacey Hamilton and Hunter Shinkaruk had a goal each for the Comets. . . . Attendance was 7,415.
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No one has been a thorn in the side of organizations like FIFA and the IOC like Andrew Jennings. So if you would like some insight into what has been going on at FIFA, read Jennings’ first-person report right here. It is amazing.
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If you want still more on the FIFA mess, check out this piece right here by Jere Longman of The New York Times as he explains how the Cayman Islands came to be as powerful in the organization as any of the other member countries.
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Wenatchee Wild press conference tomorrow at 3 pm Town Toyota Center. This will be a game changer for the Wild. #wildfamily #boarderwars

— Bliss Littler (@BlissLittler) May 31, 2015

Might the Wild announce its much-speculated upon move to the BCHL at today's news conference?
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76% of favours in Canada are done for free beer

— Stats Canada (@stats_canada) May 31, 2015

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Rockets, Generals in Memorial Cup final . . . Hockey Canada honours Tuer . . . Campese back coaching

F Adam Hughesman (Tri-City, 2006-12) signed a one-year contract with Sterzing/Vipiteno (Italy, Serie A). This season, with the Reading Royals (ECHL), he had 23 goals and 44 assists in 69 ghames. He also had one goal in three games with the Manchester Monarchs (AHL). Hughesman led Reading in assists and was second in points. . . .
F Brad Ross (Portland, 2007-12) signed a one-year-plus-option contract with the Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL). This season, he had four goals and four assists in 32 games with the Toronto Marlies (AHL) and five goals and six assists in 32 games with the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL). . . .
D Rod Sarich (Calgary, 1996-2002) signed a one-year extension with the Sheffield Steelers (England, UK Elite). This season, he had three goals and seven assists in 60 games. Sarich has dual Canadian-UK citizenship. Next season will be his 10th season with Sheffield. He has played 507 games with the Steelers, fifth on their all-time list.
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The WHL-champion Kelowna Rockets advanced to the Memorial Cup final by thrashing the host Quebec Remparts 9-3 before 9,870 fans on Friday night. . . . The Remparts were playing their third game in three nights and it showed. This also was their final game in the historic Colisee, as they will move into the brand new Videotron Centre next season. . . . The Rockets and OHL-champion Oshawa Generals will play Sunday

evening for the major junior championship. . . . The Generals went 3-0 in the round-robin to earn a bye into the final. The Rockets were 1-2 in the round-robin, including a 2-1 loss to Oshawa on Tuesday. . . . The Generals haven’t played since that game. . . . The QMJHL, the host league, won’t be represented in the final. This will be the first time that has happened since 2009 when the final, in Rimouski, Que., featured the Rockets and the Windsor Spitfires. That was the Rockets’ last Memorial Cup appearance. The Spitfires won that one, 4-1. . . . Oshawa head coach DJ Smith was on Windsor’s coaching staff at the time. . . . Last night, the Rockets got two goals and two assists from F Justin Kirkland, with F Leon Draisaitl and D Josh Morrissey each getting a goal and two assists. . . . Kelowna F Rourke Chartier scored twice. . . . F Adam Erne gave Quebec a 1-0 lead at 3:11 of the first period, with Kelowna F Chance Braid tying it at 9:51. . . . Kelowna took control with four second-period goals, the first three coming in a span of 3:49 in the first 4:06. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle stopped 20 shots, while Quebec’s Zach Fucale, who turned 20 on Thursday, turned aside 35. . . . The Rockets were 3-for-6 on the PP; the Remparts were 1-for-7. . . . The referees were Jonathan Alarie and Olivier Gouin, both from the QMJHL. In fact, they were the referees on Wednesday when the Remparts dropped a 4-0 decision to the Rimouski Oceanic. After that game, Quebec head coach Phillippe Boucher ripped the officiating and later was fined $10,000. . . . The Rockets were 51-for-82 on faceoffs, with Draisaitl going 16-for-26. . . . Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News has more on the game right here, and it included quite a trash-throwing incident involving the fans.
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Here is the Memorial Cup schedule (all games on Sportsnet; all times Eastern):
Friday, May 22: Kelowna 3 vs. Quebec 4 (9,497)
Saturday, May 23: Rimouski 3 vs. Oshawa 4 (8,409)
Sunday, May 24: Quebec 4 vs. Oshawa 5 (OT) (10,970)
Monday, May 25: Rimouski 3 vs. Kelowna 7 (6,981)
Tuesday, May 26: Oshawa 2 vs. Kelowna 1 (7,002)
Wednesday, May 27: Quebec 0 vs. Rimouski 4 (10,277)
Thursday, May 28 (tiebreaker): Quebec 5 vs. Rimouski 2 (6,533)
Friday, May 29 (semifinal): Kelowna 9 vs. Quebec 3 (9,870)
Sunday (championship): Oshawa vs. Kelowna, 7 p.m.
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Luke Pierce, who signed with the Kootenay Ice earlier in the week, is the youngest head coach in the WHL, and it isn’t even close.
Keeping in mind that the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Vancouver Giants have yet to sign head coaches, here’s a look at the ages of the league’s head guys, from youngest to oldest:
Luke Pierce, Kootenay Ice, 31
Steve Hamilton, Edmonton Oil Kings, 41
Mike Williamson, Tri-City Americans, 42
Steve Konowalchuk, Seattle Thunderbirds, 42
Mark French, Calgary Hitmen, 44
Dan Lambert, Kelowna Rockets, 45
Mark Holick, Prince George Cougars, 46
Shaun Clouston, Medicine Hat Tigers, 47
Bob Woods, Saskatoon Blades, 47
Jamie Kompon, Portland Winterhawks, 48
Dave Lowry, Victoria Royals, 50
Mark Lamb, Swift Current Broncos, 50
Marc Habscheid, Prince Albert Raiders, 52
Brent Sutter, Red Deer Rebels, 52
Kelly McCrimmon, Brandon Wheat Kings, 54
Tim Hunter, Moose Jaw Warriors, 54
Don Nachbaur, Spokane Chiefs, 56
Kevin Constantine, Everett Silvertips, 56
John Paddock, Regina Pats, 60
Don Hay, Kamloops Blazers, 61
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Graham Tuer, one of the really good guys in the hockey world, received an Order of Merit for dedicated service to the sport during Hockey Canada’s Spring Congress in Toronto on Friday. . . . Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has more right here. . . . It’s also worth mentioning that Brad Howard of Regina, a longtime on-ice official and someone who continues to be involved with officiating, was presented with Hockey Canada’s Officiating Award for his contributions to that aspect of the game.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors are holding their prospects’ camp this weekend, and there are some familiar names on hand. . . . F Landon Quinney of Las Vegas, who has played in the Arizona Bobcats program, is the son of former Calgary Wranglers F Ken Quinney and the brother of Gage, a forward with the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Also in camp, reports Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald, is F Erik Middendorf, who was a fourth-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft. From Phoenix, he is the nephew of F Max Middendorf, who played in the QMJHL and NHL. . . . The Warriors have put some added emphasis on their American scouting of late. Former Lethbridge Hurricanes GM Bob Bartlett is Moose Jaw’s senior scout and manager of U.S. scouting and player development.
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Here’s Jeb Lund, for Rolling Stone, on the biggest story in sports this year: “FIFA is so grandiosely historically corrupt that busting them for this, finally, feels like ignoring reports on Jeffrey Dahmer for years and then raiding his kitchen for health-code violations.” . . . This excellent piece is right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Bruno Campese, the former general manager of the Prince Albert Raiders, has been named head coach of the Penticton, B.C.-based Okanagan Hockey Academy’s bantam prep team. . . . Campese, 51, spent eight seasons with the Raiders, beginning as head coach. He coached until 2011 and was the general manager from 2008-15. . . . Before joining the Raiders, Campese spent three seasons as director of hockey operations and head coach with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees.
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Brian Wiebe tweeted Friday that the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials have promoted Joe Martin, their assistant general manager and assistant coach, to GM and head coach. He takes over from Luke Pierce, who signed on as the Kootenay Ice’s head coach earlier in the week. . . . Pierce had been with the Centennials for six seasons. . . . Martin has been with the Centennials since May 27, 2011. He had been GM/head coach of the junior B Creston Valley Thundercats of the Kootenay International Junior League. . . . Wiebe, by the way, has been named assistant GM of the junior B Port Moody Panthers. He already was their director of media and communications.
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Fred Harbinson, the general manager and head coach of the BCHL’s Penticton Vees, has decided to stay put. Andy Baggot of the Wisconsin State Journal has reported that Mike Eaves, the head coach of the U of Wisconsin Badgers, offered Harbinson an assistant-coaching position. Harbinson told Baggot he had multiple conversations with Eaves and received a “very strong” offer. . . . Harbinson chose to remain in Penticton because “it’s better for me and my family to stay put.”
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The Tri-City Americans have signed F Carson Focht, the seventh overall selection in the WHL’s 2015 bantam draft. The 6-foot-0, 150-pound Focht, from Regina, played with the Notre Dame Hounds of Wilcox, Sask. He led the bantam league in scoring, with 70 points, including 39 goals, in 38 games. . . .
In the AHL, the host Grand Rapids Griffins earned a 3-2 OT victory over the Utica Comets before 8,967 fans on Friday night. That tied the Western Conference final 2-2 with Game 5 in Grand Rapids on Sunday. . . . F Andreas Athanasiou got the winner last night, at 5:05 of the first extra period. . . .
The NHL’s Montreal Canadiens no longer are affiliated with the ECHL’s Wheeling Thunder. Instead, Montreal’s ECHL affiliate will be the Brampton, Ont., Beast. . . . The Beast will play in the 5,000-seat Powerade Centre, the former home of the OHL’s Brampton Battalion.
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@sask_hockey Our own Graham Tuer and his granddaughter & #puckster @HockeyCanada awards gala. #hockeyproud pic.twitter.com/9gdl0Ykfnn

— Scott Frizzell (@ScottFrizz) May 29, 2015

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Rockets back in the game . . . James facing another charge . . . Former enforcer pleads guilty

F Toni Rajala (Brandon, 2009-10) signed a one-year contract with Luleå (Sweden, SHL). This season, with Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia, KHL), he had three goals and nine assists in 21 games. In 31 games with Färjestad Karlstad (Sweden, SHL), he had 27 points, including 14 goals. . . .

The KHL ‘Junior Fair’ or entry draft was held on Saturday, and two players with WHL connections were selected. . . . F Jordan Weal (Regina, 2007-12) went in the third round (69th overall) to Sochi. This season, with the Manchester Monarchs (AHL), he had 20 goals and 49 assists in 73 games. Weal was third in the AHL scoring race and was named a second-team all-star. . . . G Patrik Bartosak (Red Deer, 2011-13) was taken in the fifth round (125th overall) by Dynamo Minsk. This season, with Manchester, he was 2.23 and .919 in 28 games. . . . The KHL draft is open to Russian players age 17 and non-Russian players ages 17-23 who don’t have any contractual ties to any KHL or other Russian club.
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F Nick Merkley scored on Kelowna’s first shot of the game last night and the Rockets went on to a 7-3 victory over the Rimouski Oceanic in the fourth game of the Memorial Cup in Quebec City. . . . Attendance was 6,981. . . . The Rockets are 1-1; the Oceanic is 0-2. . . . The Oshawa Generals are 2-0, while the host Quebec Remparts are 1-1. . . . The Rockets will play the Generals tonight. Should Oshawa win, it will get a bye into Sunday’s final. . . . The Oceanic is scheduled to play the Remparts on Wednesday. A victory by Kelowna tonight and Rimouski on Wednesday would put the Rockets into the final. . . . From Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports Canada: “The Oceanic, which gave up six or more goals for only the third time since Jan. 1, must defeat Quebec on Wednesday in order to advance to a tiebreaker game. Coach-GM Serge Beausoleil's team is 5-0 against the Remparts at the Colisée since both teams finalized their rosters at the QMJHL trade deadline.” . . . Last night, Merkley scored twice and added an assist, getting both goals after kicking the puck from a skate to his stick. . . . The Rockets led 3-0 before the first period was 15 minutes old, and took a 3-2 lead into the second period. . . . Rimousk’s chances at victory ended when the Rockets scored the only three goals of the second period. . . . Kelowna also got two goals and an assist from F Leon Draisaitl, who is riding a 10-game point streak, while D Madison Bowey had a goal and two helpers, and F Gage Quinney scored twice. . . . F Cole Linaker was terrific for Kelowna. He only had one assist, but was 12-for-21 on faceoffs and had a solid defensive night. . . . Draisaitl and Rimouski F Frederik Gauthier, touted as two of the top centres, struggled at the dots. Draisaitl was 11-for-25; Gauthier was 12-for-29. . . . Rimouski opened with Louis-Philip Guindon in goal, but he left after Kelowna took a 5-2 lead. He stopped 17 shots. Philippe Desrosier came on to stop 12 of 14 shots. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle turned aside 28 shots. . . . Rimouski was 2-for-6 on the PP; Kelowna was 1-for-5. . . . Draisaitl’s second goal, the last one of the game, came while the Rockets were shorthanded.
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Here is the Memorial Cup schedule (all games on Sportsnet; all times Eastern):
Friday, May 22: Kelowna 3 vs. Quebec 4 (9,497)
Saturday, May 23: Rimouski 3 vs. Oshawa 4 (8,409)
Sunday, May 24: Quebec 4 vs. Oshawa 5 (OT) (10,970)
Monday, May 25: Rimouski 3 vs. Kelowna 7 (6,981)
Tuesday: Oshawa vs. Kelowna, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday: Quebec vs. Rimouski, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday: Tiebreaker, if necessary, 7:30 p.m.
Friday: Semifinal, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday: Championship game, 7 p.m.
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Graham James is facing yet another sexual assault-related charge.
It was revealed Monday that the 63-year-old James, who coached in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors (1984-85), Swift Current Broncos (1986-94) and Calgary Hitmen (1995-96), has been charged with one count of repeated sexual assaults.
Lawyer Robert Skinner of Regina represented James by phone with Swift Current provincial court on

GRAHAM JAMES

Monday. James has waived a preliminary hearing, electing to be tried by judge alone in Court of Queen’s Bench. His next appearance is scheduled for June 19.
On Monday, the judge in Swift Current issued a publication ban in order to protect the identity of the alleged victim.
According to the RCMP, a former Broncos player came forward with a complaint on Sept. 27, 2013. The complainant has said the alleged assaults took place in 1991 and 1992.
James is in prison, although prosecutors have not said where. He is in the final weeks of a sentence he received in 2012 for sexual assaults on former NHL/WHL star Theo Fleury, while he was with the Warriors, and his cousin, Todd Holt, when he was with the Broncos. In that case, James originally was sentenced to two years, but that was increased to five years on appeal.
As news of the latest charges hit social media, Fleury tweeted:
“By the time a pedophile gets caught he has over 120 victims, not surprised by the news of Graham James.
"For all of you asking if I'm ok, I appreciate it and it just gives me more conviction to keep fighting. I have a great life #epidemic.”
Prior to the Fleury/Holt-related sentence, James served 3 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting former NHLer Sheldon Kennedy, while he was with the Broncos, and two other players.
You may recall that the National Parole Board gave James a pardon in 2007, something that resulted in a huge outpouring of outrage and, later, a tightening of the rules regarding such situations.
Kennedy told the Calgary Sun on Monday that he was aware of the latest charge against James, adding that he wasn’t “at all surprised.”
“When the police did the investigation in my case,” Kennedy told 660News, a Calgary radio station, “they figured there was anywhere from 75 to 100 other victims.
“I go back to thinking about how important it is for the individual, that we focus on them as they came forward and I know that there’s going to be some struggles as they go through the process.
“Graham James is hopefully not getting out of jail anytime soon.”
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“A former National Hockey League enforcer has pleaded guilty to a string of criminal charges dating back to last year,” writes Tim Petruk of Kamloops This Week. “Rudy Poeschek was in Kamloops provincial court on Monday, where he entered guilty pleas to four counts — three allegations of driving while prohibited and one count of assault. He will be sentenced on July 2.” . . . Petruk’s complete story is right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Bradley Flynn has joined the QMJHL’s Acadie-Bathurst Titan as an assistant coach under head coach Mario Pouliot. . . . Flynn, the son of Saint John Sea Dogs head coach Danny Flynn, will work with fellow assistant Jean-François Grégoire. . . . Bradley Flynn had been an assistant coach with the NAHL’s Corpus Christi IceRays. . . . The Titan also has added Nathan Dunnett as its goaltending coach. He played in the QMJHL with the Drummondville Voltigeurs and Baie-Comeau Drakkar. Most recently, he has been with the Maritime Hockey League’s Miramichi Timberwolves.
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The OHL’s Peterborough Petes are expected to announce today that they have added Jake Grimes to their coaching staff as an assistant under head coach Jody Hull. . . . Grimes spent 11 seasons as an assistant coach with the Belleville Bulls. The Belleville franchise has been sold and the Bulls now are the Hamilton Bulldogs.
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The four-team 2016 Cyclone Taylor Cup will be held in Victoria, April 7-10. The Cyclone Taylor Cup is the B.C. junior B championship. The Victoria Cougars of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League will be the host team. The tournament also includes the champions from the VIJHL, Kootenay International and Pacific junior leagues. . . . The VIJHL’s Campbell River Storm won the tournament this year in Mission.
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Trent Yawney, once a WHL defenceman (Saskatoon, 1981-85), is an assistant coach with the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks these days and is playing an important role in their playoff run. Eric Duhatschek of The Globe and Mail explains it all right here. . . . Brad Lauer, a former WHL player and coach, also is on the Ducks’ coaching staff.
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Mike O’Brien, who was a colleague when we both worked at the Regina Leader-Post, lost his battle with cancer on Monday. He was a special person. If you haven’t read the feature that Jana Pruden wrote about him recently, that story is right here.
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Sad to say, the lovely & clever Mike O’Brien - who, among many things, played Wes Humboldt on CornerGas - has passed away. #CancerSucks.

— Brent Butt (@BrentButt) May 25, 2015

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.

Generals need OT to stay perfect . . . Rockets, Oceanic on tap today . . . No Draisaitl was Oilers call

D Zack FitzGerald (Seattle, 2001-05) signed a one-year contract with the Sheffield Steelers (England, UK Elite). This season, as a player-assistant coach with the Braehead Clan Glasgow (Scotland, UK Elite), he had two goals and 12 assists in 50 games.
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THE MEMORIAL CUP:

The Oshawa Generals clinched a Memorial Cup playoff berth on Sunday, beating the host Quebec Remparts 5-4 in OT before 10,970 fans. . . . The OHL-champion Generals are 2-0; the Remparts 1-1. . . . The Generals, who outshot the Remparts 50-25, forced OT with a goal late in the third period, then won it on D Stephen Desrocher’s goal at 18:07 of OT. His wrist shot glanced in off the crossbar. . . . The goal came off a faceoff win by F Cole Cassels, who had been on the bench for a bit trying to recover after blocking a shot. . . . All three games in this tournament have been decided by one goal. . . . Tonight, the WHL-champion Kelowna Rockets (0-1) meet the QMJHL-champion Rimouski Oceanic (0-1). . . . Quebec F Dmytro Timashov scored twice, his second goal, at 8:48 of the third period, giving the Remparts their first lead of the game, 4-3. . . . The Generals forced OT when F Tobias Lindberg scored on the PP at 17:51. Before that goal, Oshawa’s PP was 0-for-8 in the tournament. . . . Cassels finished minus-1 but he drew an assist on each of Oshawa’s last two goals. . . . Quebec G Zach Fucale stopped 45 shots, 24 more than Oshawa’s Ken Appleby. . . . The Remparts were 1-for-3 on the PP; the Generals were 1-for-4. . . .
Doyle Potenteau of the Kelowna Daily Courier sets the stage for tonight’s game: “Without doubt, the Generals (2-0) will be rooting for the Oceanic (0-1) to defeat the Rockets (0-1) today. If Rimouski wins, Oshawa will
 advance to Sunday’s championship game, regardless if the Rockets beat the Generals on Tuesday. . . . Sunday’s game was the third consecutive one-goal contest to open the 2015 Memorial Cup. The last time a championship opened with three straight one-goal outcomes was 2008.”
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Here is the Memorial Cup schedule (all games on Sportsnet; all times Eastern):
Friday, May 22: Kelowna 3 vs. Quebec 4 (9,497)
Saturday, May 23: Rimouski 3 vs. Oshawa 4 (8,409)
Sunday, May 24: Quebec 4 vs. Oshawa 5 (OT) (10,970)
Monday: Rimouski vs. Kelowna, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday: Oshawa vs. Kelowna, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday: Quebec vs. Rimouski, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday: Tiebreaker, if necessary, 7:30 p.m.
Friday: Semifinal, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday: Championship game, 7 p.m.
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Kinsey Millhone has nothing on Sunaya Sapurji, one of the junior hockey writers for Yahoo! Sports Canada.
When F Leon Draisaitl didn’t play for Germany in the 2015 World Junior Championship, Sapurji wanted to know whether that was his decision or one made by the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, the team whose roster Draisaitl was on at the time.
(The Oilers later assigned Draisaitl to the WHL, but told the Prince Albert Raiders, with whom he had played in 2013-14, that they wanted him with the Kelowna Rockets. Draisaitl was dealt to the Rockets and was the WHL’s playoff MVP.)
Sapurji didn’t have any success finding an answer to her question during the tournament but she didn’t give up. On Sunday, she tweeted that she had gotten the answer from Draisaitl and that it was a decision made by the Oilers.
“That wasn’t really my decision, to be honest,” Draisaitl told reporters at the Memorial Cup. “It was the Oilers’ decision. I don’t want to comment too much on it. It’s their decision and I’m happy with whatever would have happened.”

Without Draisaitl in its lineup, Germany ended up being relegated.
“It’s never fun to see your country go down, especially your age-group,” Draisaitl said. “It’s kind of funny, all my best friends are on that team. I’ve played with all those guys for a number of years. It’s not easy to see something like that, so, obviously it’s disappointing. I would have loved to help them out a little bit at least. But at the same time, I played in the NHL, and that’s a kid’s dream. There’s nothing bad I have to say about that.”

@sunayas @SteveBurtch good for us germans to know. Some questioned his willingness to play for his country..

— Lukas B (@LkB94) May 24, 2015

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Jay Isbee, the governor of Washington, has signed a bill that makes players on the state’s four WHL teams amateur athletes. That exempts those teams from any minimum wage-related laws. However, Scott Sepich, writing for Yahoo! Sports Canada, reports right here that the story may not yet be over.
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F Andrew Johnson, who played out his junior eligibility this season with the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors, has committed to the U of Saskatchewan and the Huskies for next season. Johnson, who is from Saskatoon, played with the Moose Jaw Warriors, Seattle Thunderbirds and Swift Current Broncos (2010-15). He was a second-round selection by the Warriors in the WHL’s 2009 bantam draft.
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Tyler Richards, a goaltender with the NLL’s Vancouver Stealth, is retiring at the age of 28. Why? Because he has had three concussions in the last five years, all from being hit in the head by shots. . . . Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province has that story right here.
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A little rainy. But looks like there WILL be baseball today in KC. These are our seats. C'mon guys! Throw me a ball! pic.twitter.com/nyXXkogE0t

— Dan O'Connor (@DanOConnor_PG) May 24, 2015

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Rockets drop opener to Remparts . . . Lowry on Sharks' radar . . . Hiller on move

F Chet Pickard (Tri-City, 2005-09) signed  one-year-plus-option contract with RHW Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL). This season, with Odense (Denmark, Metal Ligaen), he was 2.65 and .909 in 36 games. . . .
F Martin Cibák (Medicine Hat, 1998-2000) signed a one-year contract with Zlín (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, with Olomouc (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had 11 goals and nine assists in 48 games. . . .
F Tyler Mosienko (Kelowna, 2000-05) signed a one-year extension with the Sheffield Steelers (England, UK Elite). This season, he had 26 goals and 37 assists in 60 games.
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As you no doubt are aware, the games began at the Memorial Cup in Quebec City last night. . . . The host Quebec Remparts dumped the WHL-champion Kelowna Rockets, 4-3, before 9,497 fans. . . . In each of the last six tournaments, the host team had lost its opener. . . . The Remparts outchanced the Rockets and, at one point, held a 2-0 lead that could just as easily have been 5-0, but not for some solid play by Kelowna G Jackson Whistle. . . . A key part in this game occurred as the buzzer sounded to end the second period. The Remparts held a 2-1 lead at the time, with Kelowna F Nick Merkley having scored a shorthanded goal at 17:56 of the second period to get the Rockets to within a goal. . . . There was some milling around, some pushing and shoving, at the buzzer and the referees chose to slap misconducts on Kelowna F Leon Draisaitl and Quebec F Marc-Olivier Roy, both of whom are NHL draft picks of the Edmonton Oilers. That took Draisaitl, the WHL’s playoff MVP and Kelowna’s most-dangerous player, off the ice for the first half of the third period. . . . The Rockets didn’t do much offensively with Draisaitl off and, in fact, gave up a shorthanded goal to Quebec F Ryan Graves at 2:08 for a 3-1 Remparts lead. . . . Draisaitl came back and later scored the game’s last goal, on a PP, at 19:24. . . . The Rockets took 44 of the game’s 70 penalty minutes. If they are to win this tournament, they are going to have to stop giving the referees the option to make some of those calls. . . . The Rockets were 2-for-6 on the PP, but gave up that shorthanded goal. . . . Quebec was 0-for-5 on the PP. . . . Quebec G Zach Fucale stopped 26 shots, one fewer than Whistle. . . . Kelowna was 30-for-58 on faceoffs, and that was with Draisaitl struggling — he was 13-for-29. . . . Rockets D Madison Bowey had a game-high six shots, but he can play a lot better than he did. He fought the puck for a good part of this one. . . . The Rockets don’t play again until Monday, so will have some time to think about the loss.
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Here is the Memorial Cup schedule (all games on Sportsnet; all times Eastern):
Friday: Kelowna 3 vs. Quebec 4 (9,497)
Saturday: Rimouski vs. Oshawa, 4:30 p.m.
Sunday: Quebec vs. Oshawa, 4:30 p.m.
Monday: Rimouski vs. Kelowna, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday: Oshawa vs. Kelowna, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday: Quebec vs. Rimouski, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday: Tiebreaker, if necessary, 7:30 p.m.
Friday: Semifinal, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 31: Championship game, 7 p.m.
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An interesting note from Doyle Potenteau of the Kelowna Daily Courier, who is in Quebec City:
“The Colisée Pepsi is a wonderful, albeit aging, rink, one filled with
history. Located steps away is the city’s newest construction site, the home of Videotron Centre, an 18,482-seat arena that fans in this hockey-mad market hope will soon be home to an NHL team. And steps away from the Videotron Centre is Pavillon de la Jeunesse, a small but outstanding rink of which some WHL teams would be envious. The rink seats 5,000, has a low roof and an ice surface that, with the touch of a button, can be expanded from NHL to Olympic size in only eight minutes. If that sounds crazy, here’s something really crazy: The rink doesn’t have a main tenant, and, according to staff, is mostly used for cultural events.”
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Those of us on the outside really have no idea how serious a contender Dave Lowry is for the head-coaching position with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks. But if you believe that where there’s smoke, there’s fire, the Victoria Royals head coach very well may be in the hunt. . . . It could be that someone like Randy Carlyle or Peter DeBoer will replace Todd McLellan. But, hey, it could be Lowry, who played 143 games with the Sharks back in the day. . . . David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News has more right here. . . . “I tried reaching Lowry through the Royals’ media relations director,” Pollak writes, “only to be told Lowry and Royals general manager Cam Hope — who indicated he thought the moment his coach would get a shot at an NHL job was getting closer — weren’t interested in talking any more about the subject. That, of course, only adds to Lowry’s viability as a serious candidate.”
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The Spokane Chiefs have signed F Koby Morrisseau, who was the ninth overall selection in the WHL’s 2015 bantam draft. Morrisseau, 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, is from Grandview, Man. He had 61 points, including 39 goals, with the Parkland Rangers, who play in the West Division of the Winnipeg bantam AAA league. . . . The Chiefs had two first-round selections in the 2015 draft. Earlier, they signed D Ty Smith, who was the draft’s first overall selection.
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THE COACHING GAME:

The QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs have signed Danny Flynn to a three-year contract as head coach. Flynn, 57, spent this season as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. . . . Flynn, a veteran of the coaching wars, spent six seasons (2007-13) as head coach of the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats, guiding them to the 2010 championship. Flynn replaces Ross Yates, the head coach for the past two seasons.
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Ansar Khan, who covers the Detroit Red Wings for MLive.com, reported Friday afternoon that former WHL coach Jim Hiller will be joining the Toronto Maple Leafs coaching staff. . . . Hiller, 46, coached in the WHL with the Chilliwack Bruins (remember them?) and Tri-City Americans. This season, he was an assistant coach under Mike Babcock with the Red Wings. . . . In Detroit, Hiller was responsible for the PP, which was the second most-prolific in the NHL.
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Happy 63rd b'day to former 2-way winger Rich Preston who notched 31 goals in 79-80, his 1st NHL season following WHA. pic.twitter.com/a51aJ6LEme

— O-Pee-Chee Stars (@opeecheestars) May 22, 2015

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