Cougars, Raiders in two-player swap . . . Why do scouts do it? . . . Kennedy, Yuill to be honoured

F Tomáš Kopecký (Lethbridge, 2000-02) has signed a one-year contract with Dukla Trenčín (Slovakia, Extraliga). Last season, with Třinec (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had nine goals and nine assists in 38 games.

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The Prince George Cougars have acquired F Josh Maser, 17, and a sixth-round selection in the 2017 bantam draft from the Prince Albert Raiders for F Adam Kadlec, 17. . . . The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Maser, from Houston, B.C., was a fourth-round pick by the Raiders in the 2014 bantam draft. Last season, he had 20 goals and 17 assists in 32 games with the Prince George-based Cariboo Cougars of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. . . . This season, Maser is with the junior B Kamloops Storm of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. He has three goals and two assists in two games. . . . The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Kadlec is from Edina, Minn. The Cougars selected him in the 10th round of the 2014 bantam draft. This season, he was pointless in six games with the Cougars.

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Without too much effort, you easily can make the case that the most important people in any junior hockey team’s organization are the scouts. If you are looking for the teams that scout well and draft well, just look at the top of the standings. . . . But what makes these scouts tick? Why do these men, almost all of whom have full-time jobs, choose to spend so many winter nights watching hundreds of minor hockey games? . . . Mike Fraser is one of those scouts. He is into his 12th season as a WHL scout; he also does some writing for the Westman Journal, a Brandon-based newspaper. In this piece right here, Fraser explains why he scouts. It’s good stuff.

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Tough attendance #'s in QMJHL so far this season. 30 games with -2,000 fans. The WHL? Just 11. Kootenay (5), Swift Current (4) and PA (2).

— Regan Bartel (@Reganrant) October 18, 2016

Yes, it’s early. But you have to think there are concerns about the number of butts in seats, or not in seats, not only in major junior hockey but all over the sporting world.

If you have been watching NHL games in the regular season’s early days, you will have noticed a lot of empty seats in lower bowls. NFL stadii are littered with empty seats, as are those facilities that play host to CFL teams.

In the WHL, the Medicine Hat Tigers used to announce an attendance of 4,006 — game after game, season after season. That was when they played in The Arena. Now they are into their second season in the Canalta Centre, which, according to last season’s WHL Guide, has a capacity of 6,016 for hockey.

Through seven home games, the Tigers have an average announced attendance of 3,904. In their last three home games they have drawn announced attendances of fewer than 4,006 fans.

The Moose Jaw Warriors, playing their sixth season in the 4,414-seat Mosaic Place, are averaging an announced attendance of 3,276 fans through five home games. The Warriors’ previous home, the Civic Centre (aka the Crushed Can), had a capacity of 3,146 fans.

The Kootenay Ice, meanwhile, has averaged announced crowds of 1,763 through five home games. That is well off even last season when the final figure was 1,957. 

In Swift Current, where the Broncos’ hockey operation lost about $90,000 in 2015-16, the announced average attendance is 1,942, down 28 per game from last season. (The Broncos showed a $140,000 profit for 2015-16, thanks primarily to extraordinary income from the 2016 Womens’ World Curling Championship that was played in Swift Current and the 2016 Memorial Cup that was held in Red Deer.)

The Prince Albert Raiders have played five home games this season and their average announced attendance is 2,189, down from last season’s final number of 2,369.

And what of the Kelowna Rockets, the team for which Regan Bartel does the play-calling? Last season, they had an average announced attendance of 5,242. That number now, through four home games, is at 4,784.

Again, it’s awfully early and with a small sample size it doesn’t take much to move the numbers up or down. Still, the empty seats have to be causing some concern. If nothing else, it shows just how hard junior hockey teams have to work to get people, who don’t have near the disposable income that they used to have, into the seats.

It’s interesting to note that the CFL reacted to slow Grey Cup ticket sales on Tuesday by reducing prices for the game that is to be played at BMO Field in Toronto on Nov. 27. Originally, tickets were going for $169 to $199. Now, according to The Canadian Press, “Tickets will start at $89 with thousands available for under $150.”

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Sheldon Kennedy and Bill Yuill, two men with WHL ties, will be in Edmonton on Wednesday where they will be two of eight people to become members of the Alberta Order of Excellence. This is the highest honour an Albertan can receive.

Kennedy captained the Memorial Cup-winning Swift Current Broncos in 1989. His story, one that includes having been sexually abused by Broncos general manager/head coach Graham James, is well known by now. These days, Kennedy spends his time advocating on behalf of abused children.

Yuill, from Medicine Hat, is the owner, CEO and governor of the Everett Silvertips. He has long owned minor league baseball and hockey teams. He also is well known in the Medicine Hat area for his philanthropy.

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It's official! @UBC Thunderbird Matt Hewitt signed his @NHL game day contract with the @Canucks! #GoBirdsGo #WeAreAllCanucks #YVR pic.twitter.com/3Hwlq6bKtU

— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) October 18, 2016

JUST NOTES:

Raymond Bolduc, the QMJHL’s director of player safety, has suspended D Zachary Malatesta for seven games for the headshot that left Victoriaville Tigres F Pascal Laberge concussed on Saturday night. . . . The QMJHL has video of the hit and the reasoning behind the decision right here on its website. . . . 

theqmjhl.ca/video/malatesta-suspended-7-games

Former WHL G Matt Hewitt (Regina, 2010-13) made it to the NHL on Tuesday night. Hewitt, now in his fourth season with the UBC Thunderbirds, got the call from the Vancouver Canucks to back up G Jacob Markstrom after G Ryan Miller experienced some “tightness” so was scratched from a game against the visiting St. Louis Blues. . . . In the tweet shown above, that’s former Brandon Wheat Kings D Sven Butenschon (1993-96), now UBC’s head coach, seated to Hewitt’s left. . . . 

If you’re keeping track, F Mathew Barzal wasn’t in the New York Islanders’ lineup Tuesday as they played host to the San Jose Sharks. That means that Barzal, who must be returned to the Seattle Thunderbirds if he doesn’t stick in the NHL, has dressed for only one of the Islanders’ first four games. 

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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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Hansch the man in Edmonton

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

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The Tri-City Americans are bringing in F Matthew Gelinas for a pair of weekend games. The Americans are at home to the Everett Silvertips on Friday and the Edmonton Oil Kings on Saturday. . . . Gelinas, 17, is pointless in five games with the Americans this season. He plays for the midget AAA Calgary Royals. he is from Calgary.
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Cathal Kelly of the Toronto Star was in South Africa for the 2010 World Cup. He writes here about some his experiences as they relate to the situation in which Oscar Pistorius now finds himself.
Here’s a hint: Kelly wonders if Pistorius isn’t about to become South Africa’s O.J. Simpson.
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The matchups, if the WHL playoffs opened today:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Swift Current (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Medicine Hat (6)
Prince Albert (4) vs. Red Deer (5)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
Kelowna (2) vs. Seattle (7)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
Tri-City (4) vs. Spokane (5)
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Saskatoon, the Blades dumped the Moose Jaw Warriors 5-1 to run their winning streak to 13 games, which equals the franchise’s single season record. . . . The Warriors scored the game’s first goal but that was all. . . . Saskatoon G Andrey Markarov stopped 35 shots. . . . The teams were tied 1-1 in the third period when the Blades got goals 33 seconds apart from F Matej Stransky, his 33rd, at 9:22, and F Josh Nicholls, his 39th, at 9:55. . . . F Brenden Walker scored the game’s last two goals, getting an empty-netter at 18:06 and a PP score at 19:12. He’s got 23 goals. . . . Blades F Nathan Burns picked up an assist. He’s got assists in nine straight games. . . . The Blades lost F Michael Ferland to a cross-checking major at 19:12 of the third period. . . . Attendance was 8,611, including Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. . . . Late in the game, the Blades felt Moose Jaw D Kendall McFaull went after F Josh Nicholls. The result was that Saskatoon GM/head coach Lorne Molleken iced his No. 1 PP unit despite the 4-1 score. The Blades scored on the PP and, according to Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, “Warriors head coach Mike Stothers was livid, yelling at Molleken before getting ejected. he was unavailable after the game.” . . . Molleken told Nugent-Bowman: “I have all kind of respect for Mike Stothers. He’s a good coach and his teams play hard. I don’t believe when you’re up like that to put your No. 1 power-play unit out like that. But it was simply because of McFaull going after Nicholls.” . . .

In Kamloops, G Mac Carruth stopped 27 shots as the Portland Winterhawks blanked the Blazers, 3-0. . . . Carruth now leads the WHL with seven shutouts. He has 11 shutouts in his career. . . . F Brendan Leipsic, who leads the WHL scoring race, had a goal and an assist. . . . He has 105 points, three more than linemate Nic Petan. . . . Leipsic and Petan each scored once in Kamloops. They are tied for the WHL lead, each with 42 goals. . . . The Winterhawks last shutout against Kamloops? G Blake Grenier stopped 31 shots in a 3-0 victory in Portland on Oct. 29, 2004.. . . . The Winterhawks tied a franchise record with their 24th road victory this season. . . . Portland has 101 points and is the first WHL team to 100 points this season. It leads the overall standings by 10 points over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The Oil Kings are scheduled to play in Portland on Wednesday. . . . The Winterhawks have reached 100 points in three straight seasons for the first time since 1978-81. . . . Kamloops had won its previous seven games. . . .

In Edmonton, Regina G Matt Hewitt turned aside 53 shots to lead the Pats to a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Regina F Morgan Klimchuk broke a 2-2 tie with his 30th goal at 9:06 of the third period. . . . F Lane Scheidl scored twice for Regina, giving him 33. . . . Edmonton held a 55-16 edge in shots. . . .

In Medicine Hat, the Prince Albert Raiders overcame a 2-0 deficit and beat the Tigers, 5-2. . . . Raiders F Anthony Bardaro broke a 2-2 tie with his 20th goal at 10:38 of the third period. . . . The Raiders put it away with empty-netters from F Mark McNeill, his 21st, and F Carson Perreaux, his 11th. . . . F Elgin Pearce scored both Medicine Hat goals. He’s got 28.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Nick Zajac, Saskatoon
D Kyle Burroughs, Regina

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None
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From Everett Silvertips G Austin Lotz (@lotzy30): “My weakness is shots to the chest . . . if everyone on other teams could take note, that would be great. #logoplease”
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From Portland freelancer Scott Sepich (@SSepich): “Postal worker as I attempted to mail a package to Quebec today: ‘I thought Quebec was in Ontario.’ ”
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From Kelowna Rockets play-by-play voice Regan Bartel (@Reganrant): “Have much respect for many in Blazers organization but I don’t care if @maccarruth31 had 10 arms and was from Mars . . . . . dude deserved a star.”

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THURSDAY’S GAME:
In Regina, the Pats halted a seven-game losing skid with a 3-0 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . G Matt Hewitt stopped 23 shots for his second shutout this season. . . . F Marc McCoy, acquired Wednesday from the Red Deer Rebels, scored for the Pats. . . . D Darian Henry, acquired by Regina from the Calgary Hitmen, also made his Regina debut. F Filip Vasko, who came over with McCoy from Red Deer, remains out with a knee injury. . . . F Trent Ouellette scored in the first period for Regina, giving the Pats their first goal in 206:21. The Pats were coming off back-to-back shutouts at the hands of the Saskatoon Blades. . . . A note from Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post that will interest WHL scouts: “Vancouver Giants director of player development Todd Ripplinger, a former Pats’ head scout, won the 50/50 draw of $3,350.” . . .
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Brent Sutter has said he will run the Red Deer Rebels’ bench for the remainder of this season. . . . “I just think it’s the right thing to do,” Sutter told Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate. “It wouldn’t be fair to the kids now to make a change. There’s a certain way I want this team to play and I don’t think it would be right to all of a sudden make another coaching change. It wouldn’t be fair to anyone involved, including the fans. The right thing to do is stay the course and get through the year, hopefully have a real good second half (of the regular season) and a good playoff run. Then I can take some time to think about the situation.” . . . Sutter, the owner and general manager of the Rebels, had named himself interim head coach when he removed Jesse Wallin as head coach on Nov. 13. . . . The Rebels are 9-1-1 under Sutter, after going 10-11-2 under Wallin.
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The QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats have released one former WHL goaltender and added another. . . . Spencer Tremblay, an 18-year-old from Winnipeg who played with the Moose Jaw Warriors last season, was dropped after going 1-0-0, 4.42, .849. . . . The Wildcats now will take a look at Cole Holowenko, 19, who is from Penticton. Holowenko was released by the Everett Silvertips, who had acquired him from the Prince Albert Raiders. On Saturday, Holowenko served as an emergency backup with the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Holowenko should be with Moncton tonight when they visit the Blainville-Broisbriand Armada.
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F Darren Kramer, who captained the Spokane Chiefs last season, has been moved by the NHL’s Ottawa Senators from the AHL-Binghamton Senators to the ECHL-Elmira Jackals. . . . Kramer scored his first pro goal last night as the Jackals dropped a 6-3 decision to the Florida Everblades. . . . Kramer led the WHL in fighting majors each of the last two seasons. Last season, he also had 40 points, including 22 goals. . . . He was a sixth-round selection by Ottawa in the 2011 NHL draft.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds have signed G Logan Flodell, who was a third-round selection in the 2012 WHL bantam draft. Flodell, from Regina, plays for the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians. He also played for Team Saskatchewan at the Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup in Calgary last weekend. . . . The Thunderbirds now have signed three 2012 draft picks, the others being F Keegan Kolesar and D Ethan Bear. Kolesar was their second first-round pick; F Mathew Barzal, the first overall selection, has yet to sign. Bear was a second-round pick. . . . The Thunderbirds announced the Flodell signing before playing the Pats in Regina last night.
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The Kamloops Blazers will be without F Tim Bozon when they open a three-game swing into the U.S. Division on Friday night against the Spokane Chiefs. Bozon drew a one-game suspension for an altercation following the final buzzer on Wednesday night, when the Blazers dropped a 2-1 decision to the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Bozon became involved with Edmonton D Keegan Lowe and ended up with a game misconduct after spitting at the Oil Kings player. . . . The league suspended Bozon on Wednesday. . . . Bozon, 18, is one-third of what was the WHL’s hottest line through 17 games. But in their last three games, Bozon, centre Colin Smith and right-winger JC Lipon haven’t managed even one point as the Blazers have gone 1-2-0. . . . Bozon will be eligible to return on Saturday when the Blazers meet the Tri-City Americans in Kennewick, Wash.
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The OHL has suspended D Chris Buonomo of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for 15 games for leaving his feet and delivering a headshot on F Connor Brown of the Ottawa 67’s on Friday. Brown wasn’t injured on the play. . . . Buonomo is eligible to return on Dec. 12.
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The Brooks Bandits set an AJHL record last night when they beat the host Drumheller Dragons, 2-0. . . . The Bandits are 19-0-0 and now hold the AJHL record for longest winning streak to open a season. . . . The Olds Grizzlies began 1993-94 with 18 straight victories. . . . The AJHL record for longest winning streak (21 games) is held by the 1987-88 Calgary Canucks.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
F Mark McNeill had a goal and three assists to lead the host Prince Albert Broncos to a 6-5 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . The Broncos led 4-3 halfway through the third period when the Raiders hit for three goals, with F Mike Winther in on all of them. He drew an assist on D Harrison Ruopp’s first goal of the season, at 10:21, then got his sixth and seventh at 13:10 and 18:47, the latter into an empty net. . . . F Colby Cave had three goals and an assist for the Broncos. Cave, who turns 18 on Dec. 26, is a sophomore from Battleford, Sask. He had six goals in 70 games last season. After last night’s effort, he has seven goals in 21 games this season . . . F Coda Gordon had three assists for the Broncos. . . .

G Matt Hewitt stopped 43 shots as the Regina Pats dumped the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds, 5-2. . . . Regina got a goal and two assists from each of F Morgan Klimchuk and F Lane Scheidl. . . . Regina D Luke Fenske broke a 2-2 tie with his second goal of the season at 11:53 of the second. . . . Seattle D Jared Hauf, who took an interference major and game misconduct in a 5-3 loss in Brandon on Tuesday, wasn’t suspended and played in this one. . . . The Thunderbirds are 1-3-0 on a tour of the East Division. They play in Prince Albert on Friday and Saskatoon on Saturday. . . .

In Kelowna, F Rourke Chartier broke a 2-2 tie early in the third period and the Rockets beat the Edmonton Oil Kings, 3-2. . . . Chartier got his fifth goal at 3:04 of the final period. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle made his second straight start and stopped 25 shots. G Jordon Cooke hasn’t played since suffering an undisclosed injury in practice last week. . . . Whistle, who was 1-7-0 with the Vancouver Giants last season, is 4-0 with the Rockets this season. . . . Edmonton D Stephen Shmoorkoff scored his first goal at 4:38 of the first period. That ended the Rockets’ shutout streak at 179:59, one second shy of three games. . . . The Rockets have won four in a row. . . . Kelowna F Henrik Nyberg scored his third goal of the season and first in 10 games. . . . The Oil Kings, who had beaten the Blazers 2-1 in Kamloops on Tuesday, held a lengthy team meeting after the loss. . . .

In Calgary, F Brooks Macek and F Greg Chase scored in the circus as the Hitmen edged the Moose Jaw Warriors, 2-1. . . . Moose Jaw F Justin Kirsch shot first and scored. Macek tied it as Calgary’s first shooter. Chase, the sixth shooter, won it. . . . F Carter Hansen gave the Warriors a 1-0 lead at 1:51 of the second period and Calgary F Brendan Hurley tied it just 15 seconds later. . . . Hurley has three goals in seven games since joining the Hitmen from the MJHL’s Dauphin Kings. . . . The Hitmen have won four straight. . . . There was a scary moment in the second period when Moose Jaw D Morgan Rielly, the fifth overall selection by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL’s 2012 draft, went knee-on-knee with Calgary D Darian Henry. The hit was to Rielly’s right knee, the same one that was surgically repaired last season. He was slow getting to his feet but returned to action and appeared to be OK. . . . The Warriors had F Colton McCarthy, in from the junior B Nelson, B.C., Leafs, in the lineup. McCarthy was born in Moose Jaw and grew up in Salmon Arm, B.C. . . . Moose Jaw F Justin Kirsch was back after missing two games with an undisclosed injury. . . . The Warriors remain without F Myles Warkentine, 16, who has sat out the last 12 games. He suffered an undisclosed injury when hit into the boards from behind by F Tim Vanstone of the Prince Albert Raiders on Oct. 13. Warkentine did return to practice earlier this week. . . .

In Lethbridge, F Sam Mckechnie’s 10th goal stood up as the winner as the Hurricanes dumped the Victoria Royals, 4-2. . . . Mckechnie broke a 2-2 tie at 15:12 of the third period and F Brady Ramsay added an empty-netter at 19:56. . . . I mentioned here yesterday that Victoria D Tyler Stahl was expected to return from injury tonight. It turns out he returned Saturday and played in a 6-2 loss to the Winterhawks in Portland. . . . The Hurricanes are 8-1-2 in their last 11 games, while the Royals have lost five in a row. . . . Lethbridge is 11-7-2 and G Ty Rimmer, who stopped 32 shots, has started all 20 games. . . .

In Everett, the Red Deer Rebels scored the game’s first two goals and went on to beat the Silvertips, 4-2. . . . Everett had gone seven periods without a goal when F Tyler Sandhu scored at 1:36 of the second period. . . . The Silvertips have lost seven in a row and have scored just 10 goals in those games. . . . The Rebels are 2-2-0 on a five-game swing that ends Friday in Kelowna.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Ty McLean, Regina
F Taylor Crunk, Victoria
D David Musil, Edmonton

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Tri-City Americans F Lukas Walter (@Lukaswalter9): “Nap time after a hard day of nailing and hammering #cooked”
Walter and his teammates did some volunteer work with Habitat For Humanity on Wednesday.


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As readers of this blog — and viewers of the WHL’s news conference out of Kamloops on Thursday — are aware, the Victoria Royals, or at least the odd member of their organization, are a little sensitive when it comes to the team’s nickname.
Well, I now am wondering if someone at Shaw TV is going to be feeling the wrath over something that took place on Friday.
A reader of the blog informs via email that Victoria’s WHL team was referred to as the “Victoria Rebel’s” — yes, with the apostrophe — in the Shaw digital listings on Friday.
The Victoria Rebels were a junior football team that now is the Westshore Rebels.
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G Tyler Bunz of the Medicine Hat Tigers no longer is facing two impaired driving charges. Both charges – one of impaired driving, one of driving with a blood-alcohol level over .08 – were stayed by the Crown on Friday. . . . The Edmonton Journal quoted Alberta Justice spokesman Josh Stewart as saying: “The charges were stayed after a thorough review of the file, the Crown having concluded that there was no reasonable likelihood of conviction for either of the charges .  . .”
As the Journal noted: “When charges are stayed, the Crown still has the option of prosecuting them for one year.”
Bunz, who turned 20 on Feb. 11, was charged in St. Albert, Alta., on May 28. He is from St. Albert.
He was a fifth-round selection of the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL’s 2010 draft. He signed a three-year contract with the Oilers earlier this month.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Steve O’Rourke has resigned as the general manager and head coach of the BCHL’s Langley Rivermen. O’Rourke cited personal reasons in leaving after one season on the job. . . . He had spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat. The Rivermen were 19-35-1-5 this season. . . . Bobby Henderson, an assistant coach with Langley this season, has been named GM/head coach, while Jordan Emmerson has been named associate head coach.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Calgary, F Trevor Cheek scored three times to lead the Hitmen to a 4-0 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The series is 1-1 as it heads to Winnipeg for the next three games on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. . . . Cheek, who had 23 goals in the regular season, scored the game’s last three goals. . . . Calgary G Brandon Glover, in his first playoff start, stopped 20 shots for the shutout. The Hitmen had gone with G Chris Driedger in their 6-2 opening game loss. . . . D Alex Roach, who has been seeing time up front for Calgary, scored the game’s first goal and also added an assist. . . . Brandon G Corbin Boes stopped 37 shots. . . . The Hitmen again were without F Cody Sylvester and F Victor Rask, two of their top three regular-season scorers. . . . As well, F Brooks Macek, who has had back woes, is seeing limited ice time. . . . Brandon took 54 of 80 penalty minutes. . . .

In Moose Jaw, G Matt Hewitt stopped 31 shots as his Regina Pats edged the Warriors, 3-2. . . . Moose Jaw went in having won its last 16 home games. The Warriors were 30-3-3 at home. . . . Regina F Dyson Stevenson, who had two goals, broke a 2-2 tie with a PP goal at 6:52 of the third period. . . . Regina F Jordan Weal had two assists. . . . Regina was 2-4 on the PP and also scored while shorthanded; Moose Jaw was 1-6. . . . Regina F Tanner Olstad scored the SH goal, on a breakaway. . . . Moose Jaw G Luke Siemens stopped 12 shots. . . . They’ll play Game 2 tonight in Moose Jaw. . . . Moose Jaw D Morgan Rielly, who had major knee surgery and hasn’t played since Nov. 6, is back practising but didn’t play. . . . Regina had F Andrew Rieder back after he missed 16 games with a shoulder injury. . . .

In Medicine Hat, the Tigers scored four second-period goals and went on to a 5-2 victory over the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Medicine Hat F Curtis Valk broke a 1-1 tie at 11:33 of the second, with D Spenser Jensen striking at 14:44 and D James Bettauer scoring on the PP at 15:56. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 29 shots. . . . Saskatoon D Darren Dietz took a slashing major and game misconduct following Medicine Hat F Emerson Etem’s empty-net goal at 18:17 of the third. . . . F Michael Burns (concussion) didn’t make the trip to Medicine Hat with the Blades. . . . Attendance was 3,879. The Tigers had sold out (4,006) all 36 of their regular-season home games. . . . They’ll play Game 2 tonight in The Hat. . . .

In Edmonton, G Laurent Brossoit stopped 29 shots to lead the Oil Kings to a 3-0 victory over the defending-champion Kootenay Ice. . . . Brossoit picked up his first playoff shutout and his first victory in his third playoff start. . . . Ice G Nathan Lieuwen stopped 25 shots. . . . Edmonton F Curtis Lazar had a goal and an assist. . . . Edmonton F Mitch Moroz got the game’s first goal at 19:54 of the first period. . . . The Ice welcomed back F Drew Czerwonka, its captain, and F Max Reinhart, both of whom missed the end of the regular season with injuries. . . . Game 2 is scheduled for Sunday in Edmonton. . . .

In Kamloops, F Tim Bozon scored twice as the Blazers ended a 19-game playoff losing streak with a 4-1 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . Bozon broke a 1-1 tie at 4:13 of the second period. . . . F Chase Schaber upped the lead to 3-1 at 17:03 of the second and Bozon made it 4-1 just 47 seconds later. . . . Schaber, who missed the last six regular-season games with a leg injury, also had an assist. . . . Kamloops D Austin Madaisky had two assists and was plus-3. . . . F Robin Soudek, who missed Victoria’s last three games, scored on the PP at 11:36 of the thirst. . . . They Royals were without F Brandon Magee, who has a foot injury and isn’t expected to play in this series. . . . Victoria D Zach Habscheid (ankle) hasn’t played since Feb. 3 but is back practising. . . . They’ll play Game 2 tonight in Kamloops. . . .

In Portland, the Winterhawks held a 55-29 edge in shots as the beat the Kelowna Rockets, 6-3. . . . F Ty Rattie led the Winterhawks with three goals, his first multi-goal playoff game. Rattie had four hat tricks during a 57-goal regular season. . . . Portland D Joe Morrow broke a 2-2 tie with 1.8 seconds to play in the second period. . . . F Sven Baertschi and F Marcel Noebels each had two assists for Portland. . . . F Brett Bulmer drew two assists for the Rockets, who got 49 saves from G Adam Brown. . . . Portland F Brandon Leipsic (undisclosed) didn’t play. He had missed the Winterhawks’ last game of the regular season. . . . Kelowna F Colton Sissons scored in his third game back from a concussion. The Rockets captain played the last two regular-season games after sitting out since Feb. 11. . . . Game 2 is to be played tonight in Portland. . . . After the game, Scott Sepich, a Portland-based writer, tweeted: “After the whistle, Adam Brown skated to the corner and picked up the puck and skated off with it, while the ref followed him off.” . . . Sepich followed that up with: “The official was grabbing Brown physically to try and get the puck but Brown wasn’t having it. He just took off with it. Not sure why.” . . . Ahh, the games within the game. . . .

In Vancouver, F Cain Franson scored three times and added an assist as the Giants beat the Spokane Chiefs, 7-5. . . . Franson, the younger brother of Toronto Maple Leafs D Cody Franson, was playing his second WHL playoff game. . . . Vancouver F Jordan Martinook had two goals and two assists. . . . Vancouver F Austin Fyten, playing his first game of the season after coming back from major knee surgery, got the game’s first goal, with 2.6 seconds left in the first period. . . . Vancouver led 3-0, 4-1 and 5-2 before the Chiefs closed to 5-4 on goals from D Jason Fram and F Dominik Uher. . . . Franson got his second goal at 16:12 of the third and his third at 19:58 into an empty net. . . . F Blake Gal had a goal and two assists for the Chiefs. . . . Vancouver F Brendan Gallagher had three assists. . . . The victory was the 102nd of Vancouver head coach Don Hay’s playoff career, moving him to No. 1 on the alltime list, one ahead of Ken Hodge, who did it with the Portland Winterhawks. . . . They’ll play the second game of the series in Vancouver tonight. . . . Spokane D Brendan Kichton didn’t play again after taking a puck in the face in the third period. Head coach Don Nachbaur said he expects Kichton to play tonight. But, hey, it’s the playoffs so that’s what a coach will say. . . . The Giants, who scratched D Blake Orban, had D Reid Zalitach, a second-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft, in the lineup. Zalitach, who got into three games with the Giants during the season, played with the midget AAA Winnipeg Thrashers. . . . Vancouver also used F Carter Popoff, 16, who spent most of the season with the junior B Richmond, B.C., Sockeyes. He got in because F Scott Cooke (ill) was scratched. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., F Matt Strömwall had two goals and an assist as the Tri-City Americans dumped the Everett Silvertips, 7-2. . . . The Americans got a PP goal from F Jesse Mychan at 3:11 of the first period and led 3-0 at 9:07. . . . The Americans were 1-7 on the PP; the Silvertips were 0-4. . . . Everett G Kent Simpson stopped 18 of 23 shots before being lifted at 8:04 of the second. Austin Lotz came on to finish with 17 saves on 19 shots. . . . Tri-City G Ty Rimmer turned aside 14 shots. . . . Tri-City F Brendan Shinnimin, the regular-season scoring champ, had two assists. . . . Everett got a goal from F J.T. Barnett, who returned after a knee injury kept him out since Jan. 14. . . . Game 2 is set for tonight in Kennewick. . . . A post-game tweet from Tri-City D Zach Yuen: “What a way to start the playoffs! Sorry @WHLsilvertips it's not going to get any easier.”
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Mark Pysyk, Edmonton.
D Keegan Kanzig, Victoria (twice).
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Lukas Sutter, Saskatoon.

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