Nanaimo closing in on WHL franchise? ... Americans 4-0 on east swing ... Steenbergen shows off six-pack

Debrecen (Hungary, MOL Liga) has signed F Jesse Schultz (Tri-City, Prince Albert, Kelowna, 1999-2003) and D Jesse Dudas (Lethbridge, Prince George, Swift Current, Regina, 2003-09) to contracts for the rest of the season. . . . This season, with the Sheffield Steelers (England, UK Elite), Schultz had eight goals and 11 assists in 23 games. He was released on Dec. 30. . . . Dudas had been with TPS Turku (Finland, Liiga), but was injured in the only game he played, a Champions League match in which he scored a goal. He was released on Nov. 28.

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The Kootenay Ice moving to Nanaimo? An expansion franchise? What will it be? Who knows, but it seems that talks are ongoing . . .

According to the Nanaimo News Bulletin, the City of Nanaimo and the WHL are involved in talks that could lead to a franchise landing in the Vancouver Island City.

Tamara Cummingham of the News Bulletin reports that, according to city staff, “negotiations” between the WHL and the city “leading to a memorandum of understanding for one of its teams (are) underway.”

Nanaimo has yet to hold a referendum on an $86.6-million event centre, something that likely will happen in March.

Despite that, Cunningham reports, the city has “hired a legal advisor, financial advisor and put out requests for qualifications for architects, project management and an operations manager.”

Cunningham’s story is right here.

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You may have read here yesterday that the Red Deer Rebels had dropped veteran F Matt Campese, 19, and that he was returning to the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors. It turns out that Campese, who has a goal and an assist with the Rebels, will stay in Red Deer for the remainder of this season.

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A number of players who weren’t involved in deals at Tuesday’s WHL trade deadline are on the move. Here’s a look . . .

F Dakota Odgers, 20, has joined the SJHL’s Yorkton Terriers. He was released by the Moose Jaw Warriors at the trade deadline. . . .

D Zach Wytinck, 17, has moved from the Brandon Wheat Kings to the midget AAA Southwest Cougars, while F Garrett Armour, 19, will play for the MJHL’s Winnipeg Blues. . . .

D Ethan King, 17, who had been with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, has been added to the roster of the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials. The 6-foot-6, 225-pound King is from Vernon, B.C. . . .

F Ethan O’Rourke, 17, has moved from the Prince George Cougars to the BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings. He is the son of Cougars’ associate coach Steve O’Rourke. . . .

The Regina Pats have brought in F Duncan Pierce, 16, from the midget AAA Winnipeg Thrashers, while dropping D Riley Bruce, 17, from their roster. Bruce is headed for the MJHL’s Steinbach Pistons. Bruce had a goal and two assists in 18 games with the Pats. . . . Pierce has 10 goals and 13 assists in 25 games with the Thrashers. His arrival leaves the Pats with 13 forwards, to go with three goaltenders — Jordan Hollett is injured — and seven defencemen.

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The Vancouver Giants, fresh off an Alberta swing and having traded away F Radovan Bondra, F Thomas Foster and D Dmitry Osipov, are at home to the Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday night. . . . Postmedia’s Steve Ewen reports that F Tyler Benson, who has missed the last three games with an undisclosed injury, skated Wednesday in a non-contact sweater, as did F Dawson Holt and F Johnny Wesley. . . . D Darian Skeoch, who has been out with an ankle injury, took part in the full practice so should play Friday.

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The Portland Winterhawks have rescheduled a pair of games that were postponed by inclement weather over the weekend. . . . The game with the Kamloops Blazers that was to have been played on Sunday now is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 24, 7 p.m., at the Moda Center. . . . The game with the Everett Silvertips that was to have been played on Saturday has been moved to Tuesday, Jan. 31, 7 p.m., at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

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The WHL hasn’t seen a sniper like Brian Propp since, well, Brian Propp. No one could score like Propp when he played for the Brandon Wheat Kings in the late 1970s, and he went on to an NHL career in which he totalled 1,004 points in 1,016 games. . . . Propp suffered a stroke more than a year ago, but has recovered to the point where he will be playing in a Philadelphia Flyers alumni game on Saturday. Adam Kimelman of nhl.com has more right here on Propp’s remarkable recovery and how he’s helping others.

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.@joachimblich and @BDeJong21 created their own snow den for their #WinterhawksSnowDay pic.twitter.com/t33ABG0J3J

— Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks) January 11, 2017

.@coltonveloso17, @Jones4Caleb, @iverke and @henrijokiharju have their fort ready for the neighborhood snowball fight! #WinterhawksSnowDay pic.twitter.com/kf0mdOJYRg

— Portland Winterhawks (@pdxwinterhawks) January 11, 2017

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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

@TCAmericans @M_14Geekie he put on a show for his first game in Manitoba #4assist pic.twitter.com/lkmi8Bvl0i

— Riley (@RileyBoles6) January 12, 2017

At Brandon, F Jordan Topping scored the game’s last three goals as the Tri-City Americans beat the

JORDAN TOPPING

Wheat Kings, 5-2. . . . The Wheat Kings took a 2-0 lead on goals from F Ty Lewis (22), at 1:43 of the first period, and F Baron Thompson (2), 38 seconds into the second period. . . . D Parker Wotherspoon got the Americans on the scoreboard, with his seventh goal, at 4:25 of the second. . . . F Parker AuCoin pulled Tri-City even with his 15th goal, his third shorthanded, at 9:21. . . . Topping, who has nine goals, gave the Americans the lead at 12:22, then added insurance at 5:17 and 19:44 of the third. His second goal came via a PP and the third was an empty-netter. . . . Tri-City F Morgan Geekie, who is from nearby Strathclair, Man., drew four assists and you can bet that his father, Craig, a former WHLer (Brandon, Spokane, 1991-94), was in attendance. . . . The Americans also got three assists from F Tyler Sandhu. . . . Geekie and Sandhu drew the assists on all three of Topping’s goals. . . . G Rylan Parenteau stopped 29 shots for the victory, while Brandon’s Logan Thompson also blocked 29. . . . The Americans were 1-5 on the PP; the Wheat Kings were 0-5. . . . The Wheat Kings lost F Reid Duke with a kneeing major and game misconduct at 2:41 of the third period. . . . Tri-City F Michael Rasmussen was scratched for a second straight game. . . . The Americans (26-17-3) have won four in a row, all on an East Division swing. They are second in the U.S. Division, four points behind the Everett Silvertips, who have eight games in hand. . . . The Wheat Kings (20-17-4) had won their previous two games. They hold down the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 3,233.

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At Edmonton, the Lethbridge Hurricanes scored twice before the game was three minutes old and went

ALEC BAER

on to a 7-4 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . F Zak Zborosky, in his first game with the Hurricanes after being acquired from the Kootenay Ice, scored on his first shot on his first, at 1:06 of the first period. . . . He’s got 29 goals. . . . F Jordy Bellerive made it 2-0 at 2:29. . . . Edmonton head coach Steve Hamilton changed goaltenders, sending Josh Dechaine in for Patrick Dea at 2:29. . . . The Hurricanes scored off a 2-on-0 break with F Egor Babenko getting his 14th goal at 4:10. . . . The visitors went up 4-0 when F Tyler Wong got No. 29, at 13:41. . . . The Oil Kings made a game of it with three goals in 35 seconds early in the second period. . . . F Ty Gerla scored tgwice, giving him four goals, at 2:58 and 3:06, and D Will Warm added his sixth goal, at 3:33. . . . But the Hurricanes regained control on two goals from F Alec Baer, in his first game since coming over from the Vancouver Giants. He counted at 5:40 and 12:14 of the second period, giving him five goals this season. . . . Bellerive’s second goal of the game, and 19th this season, added more insurance 36 seconds into the third period. . . . Edmonton D Conner McDonald (2) closed out the scoring with his first goal since being acquired last week from the Kamloops Blazers. . . . The Hurricanes got two assists from each of D Brennan Menell, F Giorgio Estephan and D Igor Merezhko, and one each from Wong, Zborosky and Babenko. . . . F Brett Kemp, who was acquired from the Everett Silvertips, had three assists for Edmonton, with McDonald and Gerla each getting one. . . . G Stuart Skinner stopped 39 shots for Lethbridge. . . . At the other end, Dea gave up three goals on five shots, while Dechaine was beaten five times on 31 shots. . . . The Hurricanes were 1-4 on the PP; the Oil Kings were 0-2. . . . F Matt Alfaro, who came over from the Ice with Zborosky, was scratched with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Oil Kings are without F Riley Stadel, who was acquired from the Kelowna Rockets last week. He is out week-to-week with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Hurricanes (23-15-5) have won three straight and are a solid second in the Central Division. . . . The Oil Kings (18-21-4) have lost four in a row. They hold down the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . Announced attendance: 5,442.

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At Everett, G Mario Petit and G Dorrin Luding combined for 23 saves in sharing the shutout as the

DORRIN LUDING

Silvertips beat the Spokane Chiefs, 5-0. . . . With Carter Hart yet to return to Everett’s lineup after playing for Canada at the World Junior Championship, Petit started and stopped 18 shots in 52:36. . . . Luding, a 17-year-old from Prince George, came on to make his WHL debut with 7:24 to play and stopped five shots. . . . F Brandson Hein scored his first goal, at 2:40 of the second period, and it stood up as the winner. . . . Hein, an 18-year-old from Winnipeg, scored in his 21st game. . . . F Connor Dewar (6) made it 2-0 at 11:57 of the second period and F Devon Skoleski (6) made it 3-0, while shorthanded, at 5:29 of the third. . . . F Jake Christiansen (3) and F Riley Sutter (13) added goals later in the third period. . . . Everett got two assists from F Bradly Goethals, while Skoleski added an assist to his goal. . . . Silvertips D Kevin Davis recorded one assist to run his point streak to 13 games, the longest active streak in the WHL at this point. . . . Spokane G Dawson Weatherill made 29 stops. . . . Everett was 1-3 on the PP; Spokane was 0-2. . . . The Silvertips were without D Aaron Irving and D Lucas Skrumeda. . . . Everett (26-5-7) had lost its previous two games (0-1-1). It is tied for third in the overall standings, two points behind the Regina Pats and one behind the Prince George Cougars. . . . The Chiefs (17-18-7) have lost three in a row (0-2-1) and remain two points out of a playoff spot. . . . Announced attendance: 3,225.

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When I said I wanted it to feel like Florida I meant temperature, not attendance. #MHTigers

— Ryan McCracken (@MHNMcCracken) January 12, 2017

At Medicine Hat, the Prince George Cougars scored two third-period goals as they beat the Tigers, 4-3. .

JARED BETHUNE

. . F Radovan Bondra, who was acquired Tuesday from the Vancouver Giants, scored his 20th goal to tie the score just 37 seconds into the period. . . . F Jared Bethune broke the tie on a PP, at 7:06. He’s got 12 goals. . . . D Sam Ruopp (3) had given the visitors a 1-0 lead at 5:58 of the first period. . . . The Tigers took the lead on goals from F Steve Owre (15), at 10:05 of the first, and F Zach Fischer (23), on a PP, at 8:26 of the second period. . . . The Cougars tied it when F Jesse Gabrielle scored No. 20, at 9:26. . . . That lasted until 11:50 when F Matt Bradley’s 19th goal gave the home side a 3-2 lead. . . . Gabrielle and Bondra added an assist each, as did Fischer and Owre. . . . G Ty Edmonds stopped 29 shots in earning his 22nd victory of the season, one more than he put up last season and six fewer than in 2014-15. . . . Tigers G Nick Schneider, who leads the WHL with 26 victories, stopped 27 shots. . . . The Tigers were 1-4 on the PP; the Cougars were 1-5. . . . D Brendan Guhle was back in the Cougars’ lineup after missing one game due to illness. . . . The Cougars (29-12-2) moved past the Tigers (29-13-1) and into second place in the overall standings, two points behind the idle Regina Pats (27-4-7). . . . The Tigers had won their previous two games. . . . Announced attendance: 2,967.

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At Prince Albert, D Vladislav Yeryomenko scored at 2:11 of OT to give the Calgary Hitmen a 5-4 victory

VLADISLAV YERYOMENKO

over the Raiders. . . . It was Yeryomenko’s fourth goal this season. . . . The teams took turns scoring back-to-back goals in this one. . . . F Justyn Gurney (2) and F Andrei Grishakov (5) gave Calgary a 2-0 lead with goals at 9:21 and 11:51 of the first period. . . . The Raiders tied it on second-period goals from F Adam Kadlec (3) and D Kolten Olynek (9). . . . D Brady Reagan (2) gave Calgary a 3-2 lead at 13:22 of the second and F Jakob Stukel made it 4-1 just five seconds into the third period. . . . F Jordy Stallard, who was acquired from the Hitmen at the trade deadline, bot his ninth goal at 8:15 to get the Raiders to within one. . . . F Cavin Leth tied with his 11th goal, at 13:56. . . . F Parker Kelly had two assists for the Raiders, with Kadlec and Olynek getting one each. . . . G Trevor Martin, in his first appearance since joining the Hitmen this week, stopped 25 shots. . . . The Raiders got 27 stops from G Ian Scott. . . . Calgary was 0-1 on the PP; Prince Albert was 0-3. . . . The Hitmen lost 5-4 in OT to the Blades in Saskatoon on Tuesday night. . . . Calgary (15-19-6) had lost its previous five games (0-2-3). It is four points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Raiders (8-31-4) have lost seven in a row (0-5-2). . . . Announced attendance: 1,815.

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At Swift Current, F Tyler Steenbergen scored two goals and added four assists to lead the Broncos to an

TYLER STEENBERGEN

8-3 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . Steenbergen has 12 points in his last four games and 21 in his last 10. In that 10-game stretch, he also has three two-point games, a three-pointer and a four-pointer. . . . The teams were tied 2-2 after the first period, but the Broncos took control with four goals in in 2:16 late in the second. . . . Steenbergen, who has 32 goals, scored at 15:14 and 16:41, with F Conner Chaulk getting his fifth goal at 17:20 and F Aleksi Heponiemi scoring No. 14 at 17:30. . . . Steenbergen, an 18-year-old from Sylvan Lake, Alta., has 55 points, including 32 goals, in 43 games. Last season, as a freshman, he finished with 20 goals and 26 assists in 67 games. His fifth point last night was No. 100 for his career. . . . Swift Current F Glenn Gawdin scored the game’s last two goals — he’s got 15 — and also had two assists, while Heponiemi also had two goals and two assists. Gawdin, Steenbergen and Heponiemi combined for 14 points. . . . Broncos D Max Lajoie had two assists, too. . . . F Vince Loschiavo scored his 14th goal and added an assist for the Ice. . . . The Broncos got 24 saves from G Taz Burman, while Kootenay’s Jakob Walter stopped 35 shots. . . . Kootenay was 2-3 on the PP; Swift Current was 0-3. . . . Swift Current (24-12-7) has won two in a row and is third in the East Division, two points behind the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . The Ice (10-25-8) had won its previous two games. . . . Announced attendance: 1,647.

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At Victoria, the Kelowna Rockets scored the game’s last two goals and beat the Royals, 4-3. . . . D Cal

CALVIN THURKAUF

Foote (4) pulled the Rockets into a 3-3 tie with a PP goal, at 14:36 of the third period. . . . Kelowna F Calvin Thurkauf broke the tie with his 18th goal, at 15:14 of the third period. . . . F Tomas Soustal had given the visitors a 1-0 lead at 12:43 of the first period. . . . Victoria F Vladimir Bobylev (3) tied it at 2:28 of the second period and F Ryan Peckford (13) gave the home side a 2-1 lead, on a PP, at 15:33. . . . F Dillon Dube’s third goal pulled the Rockets into a 2-2 tie at 8:32 of the third period. . . . F Matt Phillips scored No. 27 at 11:59, giving his guys a 3-2 lead. . . . The Rockets got three assists from F Kole Lind, with Dube and Foote adding one each. . . . Bobylev also had two assists for the Royals. . . . Kelowna G Michael Herringer stopped 19 shots, 13 fewer than Victoria’s Griffen Outhouse. . . . The Rockets were 1-4 on the PP; the Royals were 1-8. . . . Kelowna (25-15-3) has won two in a row and is tied with the idle Kamloops Blazers for second in the B.C. Division. . . . Victoria (22-17-4) has lost two straight and is five points behind Kamloops and Kelowna. . . . The teams will meet in Victoria again on Friday night. . . . Announced attendance: 3,783.

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THURSDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

No Games Scheduled.

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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Kootenay at Brandon, 7:30 p.m.

Everett at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Prince George at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Swift Current at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.

Spokane at Portland, 7 p.m.

Red Deer at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Tri-City at Regina, 7 p.m.

Moose Jaw vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.

Kelowna 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.

Hitmen add goaltender . . . Silvertips minus two defencemen . . . Americans perfect on eastern trek

Taid saying goodbye to @cspencer14 one of his two favourite @SCBroncos.  A very sad day:( pic.twitter.com/BmE6g2NIRZ

— Kevin Jones (@bleed_green75) January 11, 2017

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F Zdeněk Bahenský (Saskatoon, 2004-06) has signed a tryout contract with Mladá Boleslav (Czech Republic, Extraliga). This season, with Nové Zámky (Slovakia, Extraliga), he had two goals and nine assists in 22 games. He was released on Dec. 31.

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The Calgary Hitmen, having lost G Cody Porter indefinitely with an undisclosed injury, have added G Trevor Martin, 20, to their roster. Martin, from Ardrossan, Alta., played three games with the Red Deer Rebels this season, three with the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors and five with the QMJHL’s Baie-Comeau Drakkar. . . . A seventh-round pick by the Spokane Chiefs in the WHL bantam draft, he has WHL experience, having played 19 games with the Saskatoon Blades in 2014-15 (3-10-2, 4.16, .886) and 38 with the Rebels in 2015-16 (18-8-2, 2.63, .911). . . . Last season, Martin and the Rebels eliminated the Hitmen from the playoffs, winning a first-round series in five games. Martin was 4-1, 2.20, .927. . . . Martin was on the bench backing up Kyle Dumba on Tuesday night as the Hitmen dropped a 5-4 OT decision to the Blades in Saskatoon. . . . Porter was injured on Friday during a 6-2 loss to the Pats in Regina.

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The Brandon Wheat Kings have dropped D Blake Jameson, 18, from their roster and he will join the MJHL’s Swan Valley Stampeders. Jameson was pointless in 27 games with the Wheat Kings this season. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder played last season with the midget AAA Southwest Cougars. . . . Jameson, who is from Brandon, was a fourth-round pick by the Victoria Royals in the 2013 bantam draft.

The Wheat Kings also have removed D Zach Wytinck, 17, and F Garrett Armour, 19, from their roster. Wytinck, from Glenboro, Man., had one assist in 29 games with Brandon, while Armour, from Winnipeg, had four assists in 41 games. Wytinck was in his first WHL season; Armour played with the Saskatoon Blades in 2014-15 and was in his second season with Brandon. Armour has two goals and 15 assists in 142 career regular-season games.

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The Red Deer Rebels have signed F Chris Douglas, 16, and added him to their roster. Douglas, from Richmond, B.C., had 13 goals and 24 assists in 26 games with the Greater Vancouver Canadians of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. . . . The Rebels also have dropped F Quinn Martin, 17, from their roster. A native of Santa Fe, N.M., Martin was pointless in 20 games with Red Deer.

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So you want to be a junior hockey player, do you? Best purchase a hardy suitcase. . . . Consider the case of D Carter Cochrane, who is from Kamloops and has played 43 games in the WHL (Everett Silvertips, 33; Tri-City Americans, 9; Vancouver Giants, 1). . . . On Tuesday, Cochrane, 20, was involved in a BCHL trade, moving from the Salmon Arm Silverbacks to the Trail Smoke Eaters. . . . When he plays his first game for Trail, it will mark his 10th junior team since the start of 2011-12 when he got a taste with the junior B Kamloops Storm and Princeton Posse of the Kootenay International Junior League. . . . Since then, Cochrane has played for the KIJHL’s Golden Rockets, the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs, Everett, Tri-City, Chilliwack again, the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals, Vancouver, Salmon Arm and now Trail.

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In the course of more than 40 years in the newspaper business, I developed a pretty thick skin and, in time, I learned to ignore the yahoos who troll the waters of social media.

But I know only too well how hard it can be on family members when someone close to them comes under attack.

That is the focus of the top of this week’s edition of 30 Thoughts, the musings of Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Following the championship game at the 2017 World Junior Championship, Friedman chatted with Sheehan Desjardins, 21, whose father, Willie, now is the head coach of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. Willie, one of the most decent people you could ever hope to meet, was on Team Canada’s coaching staff in 2009 when it won gold in Ottawa and again in 2010 when it lost in OT to Team USA in the final in Saskatoon.

You have to read this to understand the highs and lows that a family lives through in these situations. It is amazing and the lows are especially brutal, mostly thanks to a few non-thinkers in our midst, you know, the ones who are with Team Canada win or . . . win.

Friedman’s latest piece is right here.

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JUST NOTES:

D Aaron Irving, acquired by Everett from the Edmonton Oil Kings in a major swap last week, didn’t practise on Tuesday. He last played Friday, finishing a 4-3 OT loss to the host Seattle Thunderbirds and now is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. . . . Everett also will be without D Lucas Skrumeda with an undisclosed injury, so has brought in D Gianni Fairbrother, 16, from the Vancouver North West Giants of the B.C. Major Midget League. . . .

The Swift Current Broncos have dropped F Brandan Arnold, 19, from their roster and he will join the SJHL’s Nipawin Hawks. From Dodsland, Sask., the 5-foot-8, 175-pound Arnold had two goals and four assists in 27 games with the Broncos. Last season, as a freshman, he had two goals and an assist in 42 games. . . . He was a seventh-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft.

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My thoughts and prayers are with @TyPozzobon family and rodeo family with the tragic loss of Ty.
May you #RIP Ty. pic.twitter.com/bgrHe66Soy

— Sheldon Kennedy (@ShelKenn) January 10, 2017

Ty Pozzobon, a Canadian bull-riding champion, was found dead on Monday afternoon near his hometown of Merritt, B.C. . . . “No cause of death was released by Merritt RCMP,” writes Postmedia’s Gord McIntyre, “but they do not consider the death to be suspicious and have passed along the case to the B.C. Coroners Service.” . . . Pozzobon had incurred multiple concussions during his career. . . . “It’s important that people know about the implications of head injuries as a result of concussions,” his mother, Leanne, said. . . . McIntyre’s story is right here.

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@gdrinnan reports S Dosanjh on 4th team of yr, reminding me WHL commish edict "don't tell viewers when players had few stops." #didntcomply

— Dan Russell (@DanRussellST) January 10, 2017

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TUESDAY’S GAMES:

At Moose Jaw, F Morgan Geekie’s second goal of the game, with 43.4 seconds left in regulation time,

MORGAN GEEKIE

gave the Tri-City Americans a 3-2 victory over the Warriors. . . . Geekie has 50 points, including 24 goals, in 45 games this season. Last season, as a freshman, he finished with 25 points, 12 of them goals, in 66 games. . . . F Brett Howden (21) gave Moose Jaw a 1-0 lead 37 seconds into the game. . . . Tri-City F Carson Focht (3) tied it at 2:03. . . . The Warriors went back out front just 1:01 later as F Luka Burzan got No. 11. . . . Geekie tied it on a PP, at 3:44 of the second period. . . . F Vladislav Lukin had two assists for the Americans. . . . G Evan Sarthou stopped 33 shots for the Americans, while Moose Jaw’s Zach Sawchenko turned aside 19. . . . Moose Jaw outshot the visitors 20-0 over the first 18 minutes of the third period but couldn’t solve Sarthou. . . . Tri-City was 1-3 on the PP; Moose Jaw was 0-3. . . . The Warriors had F Branden Klatt and F Thomas Foster, both of whom were acquired in deadline deals, in their lineup, but F Noah Gregor was scratched with an undisclosed injury. . . . F Michael Rasmussen was among Tri-City’s scratches with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Americans (25-17-3) have won three in a row, all of them on this East Division trek. They are second in the U.S. Division, two points behind the Everett Silvertips (25-5-7), who have eight — yes, EIGHT! — games in hand. . . . The Warriors (25-10-7) had points in each of their previous seven games (5-0-2). They are second in the East Division, four points behind Regina, which holds four games in hand, and four ahead of the Swift Current Broncos. . . . Announced attendance: 3,103.

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At Red Deer, the Rebels opened a 4-0 second-period lead en route to a 4-1 victory over the Prince

LASSE PETERSEN

George Cougars. . . . F Adam Musil got it started with his 15th goal, on a PP, at 8:57 of the first period. . . . F Evan Polei upped the lead to 2-0 with No. 17, at 15:59. . . . F Austin Pratt then scored his 11th goal, at 17:42. . . . F Lane Zablocki, acquired earlier in the day from the Regina Pats, scored his 10th goal at 9:19 of the second period. . . . The Cougars got their goal from F Aaron Boyd (5), at 17:27 of the third period. . . . D Alexander Alexeyev had two assists for Red Deer, while Polei added one to his goal. . . . G Lasse Petersen stopped 23 shots for the Rebels. . . . Prince George starter Ty Edmonds allowed three goals on 15 shots in the first period. Nick McBride came on to start the second period and stopped 15 of 16 shots the rest of the way. . . . The Rebels were 1-5 on the PP; the Royals were 0-3. . . . Red Deer is without injured F Brandon Hagel. . . . D Brendan Guhle (ill) was among Prince George’s scratches. F Radovan Bondra, acquired Tuesday morning from the Vancouver Giants, also was scratched. . . . The Rebels (19-17-6) are third in the Central Division, five points behind the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . The Cougars (28-12-2) are third in the overall standings, three points behind the first-place Regina Pats. . . . Announced attendance: 3,905.

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1st 🌟

🎩🎩🎩 pic.twitter.com/rJllx5vmaA

— Saskatoon Blades (@BladesHockey) January 11, 2017

At Saskatoon, F Jesse Shynkaruk’s third goal of the game, at 2:13 of OT, gave the Blades a 5-4 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Shynkaruk, 20, has a career-high 16 goals this season, and six of them are

game-winners. He went into the season with 23 goals in 196 games. . . . It was Shynkaruk’s second career hat trick. Then with the Moose Jaw Warriors, he scored three times on Jan. 3, 2015, in an 8-2 victory over the visiting Prince Albert Raiders. . . . F Jake Kryski, acquired Monday from the Kelowna Rockets, gave the Hitmen a 1-0 lead when he scored on his first shot with his new team, at 4:35 of the first period. . . . However, Kryski was in the penalty box when Shynkaruk scored the winner. . . . The Blades went ahead 2-1 on goals from Shynkaruk and F Gage Ramsay 95), at 6:49 and 14:54. . . . Calgary then scored twice — F Mark Kastelic (7) and F Matteo Gennaro — at 15:13 and 15:41 to take a 3-2 lead into the second period. . . . Saskatoon F Braylon Shmyr’s 22nd goal, on a PP, at 2:54 of the second period tied it. . . . Shynkaruk gave the Blades the lead at 10:34. . . . Gennaro pulled the Hitmen back into a tie at 15:47. . . . Gennaro, who has goals in five straight games, has 18 scores this season. . . . Shmyr, F Chase Wouters and F Michael Farren had two assists each for the Blades. . . . D Jake Bean had two helpers for Calgary. . . . G Logan Flodell stopped 19 shots for Saskatoon, while Calgary’s Kyle Dumba turned aside 22. . . . The Blades were 2-2 on the PP; the Hitmen were 0-2. . . . The Blades (16-22-6) had lost their previous two games. They now are within two points of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. . . . The Hitmen (14-19-6) have lost five in a row (0-2-3). They are six points out of a playoff spot. They had won each of their previous eight games in Saskatoon. . . . Dean Brockman, the Blades’ head coach, missed the game due to a funeral. Assistant Ryan Keller was listed as the head coach, thus earning his first WHL victory. . . . Announced attendance: 2,606.

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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Tri-City at Brandon, 7 p.m.

Lethbridge at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

Spokane at Everett, 7 p.m.

Prince George at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.

Calgary at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Kootenay at Swift Current, 7 p.m.

Kelowna 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.

Rebels add two to roster . . . 2019 WJC to Vancouver/Victoria . . . Check out Lynn's book

F Bud Holloway (Seattle, 2003-08) has signed a contract for the rest of this season with Skellefteå (Sweden, SHL). He was released by CSKA Moscow (Russia, KHL) on Nov. 18 after recording three goals and six assists in 12 games. . . . Holloway has played three seasons (2011-14) for Skellefteå. He was the SHL’s leading scorer with 71 points, including 51 assists, in 55 games, and won the league’s MVP award in 2012-13.

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The Red Deer Rebels have added F Matt Campese and D Jacob Herauf to their roster.

Campese, who will turn 19 on Dec. 10, was released by the Kamloops Blazers early this season and has been with the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors. He has 17 points, including six goals, in 15 games with

the Warriors. A third-round pick of the Victoria Royals in the 2012 WHL bantam draft, he has 10 goals and six assists in 95 career regular-season games — 16 with the Royals and 79 with Kamloops. He is the son of former WHL goaltender/coach/general manager Bruno Campese, who now scouts for the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights.

Herauf, 16, has been with the midget AAA Sherwood Park, Alta., Kings. The Rebels selected him with the 16th overall pick of the 2015 bantam draft. He already has played nine games with the Rebels this season, recording one assist.

Why the additions? Perhaps because Red Deer GM/head coach Brent Sutter is looking for more out of his roster.

When Greg Meachem of reddeerrebels.com asked Sutter about his club’s play after a 4-3 OT victory over the visiting Saskatoon Blades on Wednesday, the response was: “Truthfully? I’m not a very happy camper right now. I wasn’t happy at all with the way we played the second period. We took some dumb penalties. We do self-inflicted things that hurt us and we don’t stick to what allows us to be a good team.

“We played well in the first period and did some good things in the third. When we keep the game simple, play straight lines, do things right and have a good transition where we’re getting pucks back up the ice, we play well and we’ve proven it at different times this (season).”

The Rebels’ inconsistent play has been bothering Sutter for some time now. It would seem he is going to try and fix it by bringing in competition for the players on his roster.

The addition of Campese also provides some depth should the Rebels lost F Michael Spacek and/or F Adam Musil to the Czech Republic’s national junior team.

The Rebels (13-11-4) got into the weekend in second place in the Central Division. They are 4-4-2 in their previous 10 games. They also are 13 points behind the Medicine Hat Tigers (21-5-1), but just three ahead of the Lethbridge Hurricanes (12-11-3), who have won five in a row.

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Hockey Canada and the CHL announced on Thursday afternoon that a bid from Vancouver and Victoria to play host to the 2019 World Junior Championship has been selected.

Included in the bid are the cities of Vancouver and Victoria, along with Sport Hosting Vancouver, Sport Host Victoria, Tourism Victoria, the Vancouver Canucks, Vancouver Giants and Victoria Royals, and BC Hockey.

The Vancouver/Victoria bid won out over others from Calgary/Edmonton, Saskatoon/Winnipeg and London/Windsor.

The tournament last was played in B.C. in 2006 when there were games in Kamloops, Kelowna and Vancouver. Attendance totalled 325,138 for that event. The 2019 tournament will be played in Vancouver and Victoria. Whichever pool includes Canada will play out of Rogers Place in Vancouver; the other pool will play in the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria.

The Vancouver/Victoria organizing committee will be co-chaired by Ron Toigo, the managing director of Shato Holdings and the majority owner of the Giants, and Barry Petrachenko, the CEO of BC Hockey.

The 2017 tournament opens on Boxing Day and will be played in Toronto and Montreal. Those cities also played host in 2015, while last year’s tournament was held in Helsinki, Finland. The 2018 tournament is to be played in Buffalo.

The awarding of the 2019 tournament to Vancouver/Victoria means that the tournament will have been played in North America four times in a five-year stretch.

This also will signal to smaller markets — once and for all — that they need not waste their time or money getting involved in the bidding process. It’s all about the guarantee and having a guarantor in place to cover losses if that guarantee isn’t met.

The decision to award the 2019 event to Vancouver/Victoria is “another rejection for London and Windsor — and all smaller junior hockey markets who still hold increasingly diminishing hopes they’ll ever get to stage a world junior hockey championship,” writes Morris Dalla Costa of the London Free Press. . . .That piece is right here.

The 2021 WJC also is to be played in Canada, and you can bet everything you own that it will go to Calgary and Edmonton.

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The Kelowna Rockets will have two of their players in the 2017 World Junior Championship. F Calvin Thukauf is to join Team Switzerland in Oshawa as it prepares for the tournament that opens Boxing Day in Toronto and Montreal. F Tomas Soustal will join Czech Republic in Montreal. Both players are scheduled to leave Kelowna on Dec. 12. . . . Team Russia released its preliminary roster on Thursday and it included one WHLer — D Sergey Zborovskiy of the Regina Pats. He is one of 12 defencemen on the preliminary roster. The Russians will hold a pre-tournament camp in Kingston, Ont. Zborovskiy is to leave Regina on Dec. 18.

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12 hours after this goalie's 14th shutout, it's 15 minutes of new friends and recess.

📍 Seattle Hill Elementary pic.twitter.com/esh6qDgU5W

— Everett Silvertips (@WHLsilvertips) December 1, 2016

G Carter Hart of the Everett Silvertips has posted three straight shutouts, meaning he is one shy of the WHL record that has been held by Chris Worthy of the Flin Flon Bombers for almost 50 years. Worthy put up four in a row from Dec. 29, 1967, through Jan. 13, 1968. . . . Hart has gone 187 minutes 1 second without allowing a goal. Worthy holds that record, too, at 265:13. . . . Hart’s next test comes tonight, assuming that he is Everett’s starter, when the Silvertips play host to the Medicine Hat Tigers. This game matches the WHL’s highest-scoring team, the Tigers, against the stingiest, the Silvertips. . . . The Tigers (21-5-1) have won 10 in a row and lead the overall standings by one point over the Silvertips (19-3-4), who have won four straight.

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As you no doubt are aware, the NHL will have a new franchise in play next season — the Vegas Golden Knights. Their front office is full of men with ties to the WHL, including Kelly McCrimmon, Bob Lowes, Vaughn Karpan, Erin Ginnell, Bruno Campese, Murray Craven and Jim McKenzie. . . . If you are interested in what goes into putting an NHL expansion team together and getting it on the ice, get a copy of Tom Lynn’s book How to Bake an NHL Franchise from Scratch: The First Era of the Minnesota Wild. . . . It’s an entertaining and informative look at one of the NHL’s most-recent expansion franchises. . . . Lynn was an executive with the Wild; he now is an agent with Veritas Hockey.

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If you’ve got a comment, some information you would like to pass along, or if you just want to say hello, feel free to contact me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

If you would like to donate to the cause, please visit the bottom of this post and go right ahead.

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JUST NOTES:

D Cam Reagan, 19, who was released by the Prince Albert Raiders on Monday has signed to play with his hometown AJHL team, the Sherwood Park Crusaders. . . . He had two assists in 18 games with the Raiders. In 117 regular-season WHL games, 99 of those with the Kamloops Blazers, he put up 10 assists. . . . 

The AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders have acquired the rights to F Jesse Zaharichuk, 19, from the Drumheller Dragons for future considerations. Zaharichuk, who is from Sherwood Park, had 17 points, including eight goals, in 17 games with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. He was assigned to Drumheller early in November, but he hadn’t yet played there. . . .

The AJHL’s Brooks Bandits have signed D Kord Pankewicz, 20, who was placed on waivers by the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes earlier this week. He had a goal and eight assists in 24 games with Lethbridge this season. Pankewicz is from Drayton Valley, Alta. . . .

The Portland Winterhawks have dropped F Ty Kolle, 16, from their roster and he is returning to the Prince George-based Cariboo Cougars of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. Kolle had three assists in 13 games with Portland. From Kamloops, he was a fourth-round pick by Portland in the 2015 WHL bantam draft.

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Our @ianaterry may have captured the most Everett Silvertips photo of all time last night: pic.twitter.com/bVJNGhrbrQ

— Jesse Geleynse (@JesseGeleynse) December 1, 2016

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THURSDAY’S GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.

——

FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Saskatoon at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

Medicine Hat at Everett, 7:35 p.m.

Red Deer at Lethbridge, 7 p.m. (TBG)

Moose Jaw at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Victoria at Prince George, 7 p.m.

Kootenay vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:35 p.m.

Kelowna at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.

Calgary at Swift Current, 7 p.m. (TBG)

Portland vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

Brandon vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.

TBG: Teddy Bear Game.

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Blazers d-man gets pro deal . . . Wheaties add blueliner. . . . Ex-Everett coach to run U.S. squad

D Stefan Elliott (Saskatoon, 2006-11) has signed a one-year contract with Ak Bars Kazan (Russia, KHL). Last season, with the Arizona Coyotes (NHL), he had two goals and four assists in 19 games. He also was pointless in two games with the Nashville Predators (NHL), and he had eight goals and 11 assists in 35 games with the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL). . . .

F Cam Reed (Portland, 2011-12) has been released by Ravensburg Towerstars (Germany, DEL2). He had a goal and two assists in four games. . . .

F Petr Kalus (Regina, 2005-06) has been released by Orli Znojmo (Czech Republic, Erste Bank Liga). He was pointless in three games.

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“A group of former players suing the Canadian Hockey League (is) asking a Calgary judge to order 42 major junior teams to turn over their tax returns and financial statements dating back to 2011 to establish whether those franchises are profitable or lose money,” reports Rick Westhead of TSN. “The players are also asking an Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench judge to order Western Hockey League commissioner Ron Robison and Ontario Hockey League commissioner David Branch to produce all of their leagues’ revenue-sharing agreements.

“Robison and Branch have testified that one third of the teams in the WHL and one third of the teams in the OHL lose money each season. Neither Branch nor a WHL spokesman responded to an email requesting comment.”

Westhead’s story is right here.

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D Ondrej Vala of the Kamloops Blazers has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s

Dallas Stars. Vala, a free-agent, played for the Stars entry at the Traverse City, Mich., prospects tournament. . . . The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Vala, 18, is from Kolin, Czech Republic. Last season, as a WHL freshman, he had 21 points, four of them goals, in 72 games. This season, he is pointless in two games. . . . A lot of NHL scouts showed up in Kamloops early last season to watch Vala and were disappointed in his play as he really struggled. Perhaps it was the culture shock, because he really picked up his play after Christmas when he appeared to be much more comfortable. Still, he wasn’t drafted and ended up in the camp of the Stars, whose owner, Tom Gaglardi, is the majority owner of the Blazers.

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The Brandon Wheat Kings of recent vintage never have been shy about having players from southwestern Manitoba on their roster. They added another one on Thursday when they sent a conditional fifth-round selection in the 2018 bantam draft to the Red Deer Rebels for D Zach Wytinck, 17. He was listed by the Rebels in 2015. . . . The 5-foot-11, 165-pound Wytinck, who has been playing with the midget AAA Southwest Cougars, is from Glenboro, which is about six slapshots south east of Brandon. Last season, he had 27 points, including six goals, in 44 games with the Cougars. . . . Wytinck is expected to skate with the Wheat Kings today (Friday). They are at home to the Rebels on Saturday night and the Swift Current Broncos on Sunday afternoon. . . . Brandon’s roster, which now sits at 24, includes eight players from Brandon and area, and five others from Winnipeg.

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The Saskatoon Blades have dropped D Payton McIsaac, 16, from their roster. The move was made after D Libor Hajek returned from the camp of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. . . . A second-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft, McIsaac had one assist in five exhibition games. He will return to the midget AAA Fort Saskatchewan Rangers. . . . The Blades’ roster now is at 24, including two goaltenders and seven defencemen. . . . Saskatoon visits the Medicine Hat Tigers on Friday and the Kootenay Ice on Saturday. The Blades continue to play without injured forwards Cam Hebig and F Ryan Graham.

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The Prince George Cougars trimmed two players off their roster on Thursday. . . . G Tavin Grant, 18, will be joining the BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings, while F Reid Perepeluk, 16, is off to the Prince George-based Cariboo Cougars of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. . . . The Spruce Kings, who acquired Grant’s rights from the junior B Kamloops Storm, made room for him by dealing G Liam McCloskey, 18, to the AJHL’s Whitecourt Wolverines. . . . The Cougars’ roster now is at 30 players, including two goaltenders and 11 defencemen. . . . The Cougars, at least for now, will go with Ty Edmonds, 20, and Nick McBride, 19, as their goaltenders. However, Edmonds is one of four 20-year-olds on the roster and that’s one over the maximum, so there will be movement there before Oct. 15.

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#Rebelshockey now with three first name Austin's and three last name Martin's on their roster

— Troy Gillard (@Troy_Gillard) September 30, 2016

The Red Deer Rebels have acquired F Dawson Martin, 18, from the Calgary Hitmen for a sixth-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft. Martin, from Winnipeg, had two goals and nine assists in 60 games as a freshman last season. This season, he has one assist in two games. . . . The 5-foot-11, 160-pound Martin was a second-round pick by the Hitmen in the 2013 draft.

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Among the players returned by NHL teams to the WHL on Thursday . . .

Calgary Hitmen — F Beck Malenstyn, Washington Capitals.

Kamloops Blazers — F Garrett Pilon, Washington Capitals.

Kelowna Rockets — D Lucas Johansen, Washington Capitals.

Moose Jaw Warriors — D Dmitri Zaitsev, Washington Capitals.

Regina Pats — D Connor Hobbs, Washington Capitals; F Sam Steel, Anaheim Ducks.

Tri-City Americans — D Parker Wotherspoon, New York Islanders.

Victoria Royals — F Tyler Soy, Anaheim Ducks.

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By my count, and it’s strictly unofficial, these are the WHL players still in NHL camps as of Thursday evening, not including 20-year-olds:

Brandon Wheat Kings — D Ivan Provorov, Philadelphia Flyers.

Calgary Hitmen — D Jake Bean, Carolina Hurricanes; F Matteo Gennaro, Winnipeg Jets; F Jordy Stallard, Winnipeg Jets.

Everett Silvertips — D Noah Juulsen, Montreal Canadiens.

Kelowna Rockets — F Nick Merkley, Arizona Coyotes.

Lethbridge Hurricanes — F Giorgio Estephan, Buffalo Sabres.

Prince Albert Raiders — D Brendan Guhle, Buffalo Sabres.

Prince George Cougars — F Jesse Gabrielle, Boston Bruins; F Jansen Harkins, Winnipeg Jets.

Red Deer Rebels — F Michael Spacek, Winnipeg Jets.

Regina Pats — F Austin Wagner, Los Angeles Kings.

Seattle Thunderbirds — F Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders; F Keegan Kolesar, Columbus Blue Jackets. (Kolesar will miss about six weeks after undergoing surgery for a supraumbilical hernia this week.)

Swift Current Broncos — F Colby Sissons, New Jersey Devils.

Vancouver Giants — F Tyler Benson, Edmonton Oilers.

Victoria Royals — D Chaz Reddekopp, Los Angeles Kings.

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D Connor Hobbs has been returned to the Regina Pats by the NHL’s Washington Capitals. Apparently, he is OK after taking a hard hit from behind from F Andrew Shaw of the Montreal Canadiens in an exhibition game on Tuesday night. The NHL slapped Shaw with a three-game suspension on Thursday. Yes, he will miss three exhibition games. Because they are exhibition games, he won’t even lose any money. . . . Stop laughing!

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JUST NOTES:

The Calgary Hitmen have their roster down to 26 after releasing F Brayden 

Brown, 19, and F Bryce Platt, 18. . . . Brown, from Calgary, was pointless in two games with the Hitmen. He had eight points, including five goals, with the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2014-15. Last season, he played three games with the Oil Kings and 12 with the AJHL’s Calgary Canucks. . . . Platt is form Regina. He had seven points, four of them goals, in 34 games with the Hitmen last season. This season, he had one assist in two games. . . . 

F Reid Gardiner, who is eligible to return the the Prince Albert Raiders for his 20-year-old season, has been in camp with the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins. On Thursday, he was sent to their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. . . .

F Brett Howden, just back from the camp of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, has been named captain of the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . 

F Matt Campese, who was released last week by the Kamloops Blazers, will play for the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors. Campese, who turns 19 on Dec. 10, had 10 goals and six assists in 95 regular-season WHL games, 79 with Kamloops and 16 with the Victoria Royals. . . .

The Everett Silvertips have released D Gianni Fairbrother from their roster and he will play for the Vancouver-Northwest Giants of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. Fairbrother, who turns 16 on Sept. 30, was the CSSHL Elite 15’s top defenceman last season while with the Burnaby Winter Club. He got into three playoff games with the Silvertips last season. He was a fourth-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . 

F Jaeger White, 18, has joined the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits. White, who is from Medicine Hat, had been released by the Brandon Wheat Kings. In 84 regular-season WHL games — he also played with the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Everett Silvertips — he had five goals and 15 assists.

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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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Jay Varady, a former coach with the Everett Silvertips, has been named head coach of the U.S. Junior Selects, a team that will compete in the 2016 World Junior A Challenge in Bonnyville, Alta., Dec. 11-17. . . . Varady, from Cahokia, Ill., is in his fourth season as the head coach of the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers. He was the head coach of the U.S. team that won the 2014 World Junior A Challenge. He was with the Everett Silvertips for eight seasons (2003-11), serving as an assistant coach, associate coach and interim head coach during his time there. . . . Chris Hartsburg, the head coach of the USHL’s Lincoln Stars, will be one of Varady’s assistant coaches. He spent four seasons (2009-12) as an assistant coach in Everett.

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You can tell that a lot of Eskimos players ate at the Keg tonight in Winnipeg. They are out of prime rib. (Again)

— Morley Scott (@Morley_Scott) September 30, 2016

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THURSDAY’S GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.

——

Glen Hanlon tells me that Ty Ronning is back from training camp while Alec Baer & Thomas Foster are slated to play tomorrow too. @WHLGiants

— Brendan Batchelor (@Batchelor1040) September 30, 2016

FRIDAY GAMES (all times local):

Kootenay at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Saskatoon at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.

Red Deer at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

Kelowna at Prince George, 7 p.m.

Everett at Portland, 7 p.m.

Swift Current at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Edmonton at Regina, 7 p.m.

Seattle vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.

Kamloops 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.