Oil Kings, Winterhawks in control; WHL Popcorn Poll is here

F Petr Vala (Seattle, 1997-98) has signed a one-year extension with Zell am See (Austria, Inter-National-League). This season, he finished second in the league’s scoring race, with 72 points, including 27 goals, in 34 games. . . .
G Kevin Nastiuk (Medicine Hat, 2001-05) has signed a one-year extension with Dresdner Eislöwen (Germany, DEL2). In 52 games with Dresden this season, he had a 2.67 GAA. . . .
F Clinton Pettapiece (Tri-City, Medicine Hat, 2003-06) has signed a one-year contract with Tingsryd (Sweden, Allsvenskan). This season, with the Dordrecht Lions (Netherlands, Eredivisie), he had 61 points, including 22 goals, in 36 games. . . .
F Yegor Mikhailov (Spokane, 1996-97) has signed a one-year contract with Visp (Switzerland, NL B). The contract includes an out clause should Mikhailov sign with a KHL team. This season, with Red Ice Martigny (Switzerland, NL B), he had 43 points, 23 of them goals, in 45 games.
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The WHL’s board of governors will meet in Calgary on April 30 to, according to the league, “review applications to transfer the ownership of the Prince George Cougars and Regina Pats.”
The meeting will be held at the Deerfoot Inn, prior to the WHL awards luncheon.
From a WHL news release:
“The owner of the Prince George Cougars, Rick Brodsky has entered into an agreement with Mr. Greg Pocock of EDGEPRO Sports & Entertainment Ltd., to purchase the Prince George WHL franchise. Mr. Pocock is the head of a group consisting of local Prince George businessmen and former WHL players who formed EDGEPRO to purchase the Cougars franchise.
“It was also announced (Wednesday) the ownership of the Regina Pats franchise, Russ and Diane Parker, has agreed to sell the franchise to a group of Regina businessmen headed by Anthony Marquart. Mr. Marquart has formed Queen City Sports & Entertainment Group Ltd., to acquire the Pats franchise.
“Both franchise purchases are subject to the approval of the WHL Board of Governors. In order for the transfers of ownership to be approved, a two-thirds majority vote is required from the WHL Board of Governors at the April 30 meeting.
“Should the transfer of ownership applications be approved by the WHL Board of Governors, the sale transactions will close later in May, at which time the new ownership will be in position to take control of the franchises.”
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The results of the 2013-14 WHL Popcorn Poll arrived via email on Wednesday and the Vancouver Giants are on top, once again.
The Corn Panelists, all from the Everett Silvertips, are medical trainer Marc Paquet, assistant coach Marc LeRose and equipment manager James Stucky.
While the panelists didn’t supply numbers, they did tell me that each arena’s popcorn “was graded on a 0-5 scale (5 being best) by each participant in the areas of flavor, texture and aroma/freshness." The Silvertips didn’t visit the East Division this season, so those arenas will be graded next season.
The panelists reported: “Vancouver keeps its title and is once again king of the popcorn hill for the WHL. The Giants were graded as having the best ‘Corn’ in the league in 2008-09 when we did our first popcorn poll. This time around, their ‘Corn’ was the only one to receive a perfect grade.”
In order, the results of the poll are:
1. Vancouver; 2. Prince George; 3 Medicine Hat; 4. Calgary; 5. Kamloops; 6. Edmonton; 7. Red Deer; 8. Kelowna; 9. Kootenay; 10. Portland (Memorial Coliseum); 11. Tri-City; 12. Spokane; 13. Portland (Moda Center); 14. Victoria; 15. Lethbridge; 16. Everett; 17. Seattle.
As an aside, the Corn Panelists noted that they “were appalled when testing the ‘Corn’ in Kent (Seattle). They continue to serve popcorn from their concession stands in plastic, tubular, air-sealed bags. The Showare Center completely takes the tradition and true enjoyment out of a good tub or paper bag filled with fresh popcorn.”
What? You thought a survey conducted by an Everett team wouldn’t include editorial comment involving their nearest rival?
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1. Can’t anyone hold a two-goal lead in these Stanley Cup playoffs?

2. Albert Pujols of the Los Angeles Angels hit the 500th home run of his career on Tuesday, and he did it with little fanfare. I was wondering where all the hype had gone, when I found this column right here by Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.

3. A tweet from former NHL referee Paul Stewart (@PaulStewart22): “I get emotional about those sorts of plays and players. I stand by that I would have given Cooke 50 games. Let the NHLPA gripe.” . . . That was after the NHL announced that Minnesota Wild F Matt Cooke had been given a seven-game suspension for that knee-on-knee hit on Colorado Avalance D Tyson Barrie.

4. If the NHL wanted to get stuff like knee-on-knee hits out of its games, it would hire OHL commissioner David Branch as its Minister of Justice.

5. Wondering why we’re paying so much for a litre of gasoline these days? . . . Well, we know we’re not being gouged, so it must by the situation in Ukraine and, according to one analyst, there’s an out-of-service pipeline in Iraq that is figuring into things, too.

6. Starter Michael Pineda of the New York Yankees was ejected from Wednesday night’s game in Fenway Park after Boston manager John Farrell asked the umpires to check for a foreign substance. Pineda had pine tar on his neck; in an earlier start, he appeared to have some on one hand. . . . The rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox just amped up a notch, if that’s possible.

7. Hitters are allowed to use pine tar (hello, there, George Brett), so why can’t pitchers use it, too?

8. Are young players over-coached? Do adults need to get out of the way and let them play? Of course, they do. Here’s Will Leitch of sportsonearth.com, with his take on a great quote from Jurgen Klinsmann, the head coach of the U.S. men’s soccer team.

9. While the Portland Winterhawks were beating the visiting Rockets on Wednesday night, the Portland Trail Blazers were beating the Rockets 112-105 in Houston to take a 2-0 lead in a first-round NBA playoff series. They’ll play Games 3 and 4 in Portland on Friday and Sunday. . . . Late in the game, TNT analyst Chris Webber said: “There’s some crazy people in Portland and I mean that as a compliment.” Sounds like he has been to a Winterhawks game or two.

10. I have saved the best for last, although it is closing in on 9 million views at youtube.com, so perhaps you already have seen it. It’s Darcy Oake, an illusionist, appearing on the British TV show Got Talent, and it is amazing. It is right here. . . . As an aside, he is the son of broadcaster Scott Oake.
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JUST NOTES:
D Mitch Topping, who played five seasons in the WHL, has committed to attending the U of Alberta and playing for the CIS-champion Golden Bears. . . . Topping, who turned 21 on Feb. 19, spent the last three seasons with the Tri-City Americans. The Red Deer native played his first two seasons with the Chilliwack Bruins. . . . In 317 career regular-season games, Topping had 113 points, including 33 goals. He was the Americans’ captain.
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THE THIRD ROUND (best-of-seven; all times local):
(x - if necessary)
EASTERN CONFERENCE
EDMONTON (1) vs. MEDICINE HAT (4)
(Edmonton leads, 3-1)
Season series: Edmonton, 5-0-1; Medicine Hat, 1-5-0.
(All games on Shaw TV)
Friday: Medicine Hat 3 at Edmonton 8 (7,694)
Sunday: Medicine Hat 1 at Edmonton 3 (5,763)
Tuesday: Edmonton 1 at Medicine Hat 2 (3,189)
Wednesday: Edmonton 4 at Medicine Hat 1 (3,832)
Saturday: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Monday: Edmonton at Medicine Hat, 7 p.m.
x-Tuesday: Medicine Hat at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Edmonton: D Blake Orban, day-to-day.
Medicine Hat: F Anthony Ast, day-to-day; F Gavin Broadhead, day-to-day; F Hunter Shinkaruk, indefinite.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
KELOWNA (1) vs. PORTLAND (2)
(Portland leads, 3-1)
Season series: Kelowna, 4-0-0; Portland, 0-4-0.
Friday: Portland 4 at Kelowna 5 (6,218)
Saturday: Portland 5 at Kelowna 3 (6,341)
Tuesday: Kelowna 3 at Portland 4 (OT) (9,259)
Wednesday: Kelowna 1 at Portland 5 (9,744)
Friday: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
x-Sunday: Kelowna at Portland, 2 p.m.
x-Tuesday: Portland at Kelowna, 7 p.m.
INJURIES
Kelowna: F Myles Bell, week-to-week.
Portland: None.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:

In Medicine Hat, the Edmonton Oil Kings opened the scoring for a fourth straight game and went on to beat the Tigers, 4-1. . . . Edmonton leads the Eastern Conference final 3-1 and has its first chance to wrap it up on Saturday in Edmonton. . . . The Oil Kings are looking to play in their third straight WHL championship final. . . . D Griffin Reinhart scored the game’s first goal, his third, at 7:16 of the second period. It came with the teams playing 4-on-4. . . . Edmonton F Brett Pollock scored perhaps the game’s biggest goal, because it came on a 5-on-3 PP with just 7.2 seconds left in the second period. . . . Pollock, who also had an assist, closed out the game’s scoring with his eighth of these playoffs. . . . Edmonton F Riley Kieser got his side’s third goal, his fourth, at 6:52 of the third period. (On the Oil Kings’ website, they are giving the goal to F Luke Bertolucci so perhaps a change is on the way.) . . . The Tigers got their goal from F Cole Sanford, his ninth, at 18:42 of the third on a PP. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry turned aside 22 shots, four fewer than Medicine Hat’s Marek Langhamer. . . . Edmonton was 1-for-2 on the PP; Medicine Hat was 1-for-6. . . . F Trevor Cox, who leads the Tigers with 23 points in 17 playoff games, left in the second period after a collision with Edmonton F Edgars Kulda. Cox didn’t return.


In Portland, F Nic Petan scored three PP goals to help the Winterhawks to a 5-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The Winterhawks lead the Western Conference final 3-1 with Game 5 scheduled for Kelowna on Friday night. . . . Going back to the regular season, the Winterhawks have won 39 of their last 42 games. . . . The Winterhawks were 3-for-8 on the PP, while the Rockets went 0-for-5. . . . Kelowna F Nick Merkley scored the game’s first goal, at 13:28 of the opening period. . . . Petan tied it at 18:48, then gave his side the lead at 10:15 of the second period. . . . F Oliver Bjorkstrand made it 3-1 with a shorthanded goal just 1:14 later. . . . Bjorkstrand leads the playoffs in goals (15) and is tied for the lead in points (25), with teammate F Brendan Leipsic. . . . Petan added insurance at 16:53 with his seventh goal of the playoffs. He tied a franchise record for PP goals in one game. F Dave McLay did it in a 9-6 victory over the visiting Spokane Chiefs on March 28, 1986. . . . Portland F Paul Bittner ended the scoring with his second goal of the playoffs, an empty-netter, at 17:48. . . . Leipsic and D Derrick Pouliot each had three assists as they ran their playoff point streaks to 13 games. . . . Pouliot has 24 points, 20 of them assists, in that streak. . . . Portland G Corbin Boes turned aside 31 shots, as did Kelowna’s Jordon Cooke.
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From WHL Facts (@WHLFacts): “13 - Getting a helper, @pdxwinterhawks Derrick Pouliot now has the WHL's longest playoff assist streak in at least 19 years (13 games).”
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From Matthew Gourlie (@MattGourlie) of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald, after a Wednesday game at the Telus Cup national midget AAA championship: “PA-Okanagan finishes 1-1. Bad blood at the buzzer. Teams told not to shake hands by officials. They stand at blue lines and chirp b4 leaving.”


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F Justin Feser has signed an amateur tryout contract (ATO) with the Portland Pirates, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes. Feser played five seasons with the Tri-City Americans, completing his junior eligibility this season. He put up 106 points in 72 games to finish fourth in the WHL scoring race. . . .
Bob Tory, the Tri-City Americans’ governor and general manager, announced Tuesday that D Mitch Topping, 20, will be the team’s captain in 2013-14. Topping is the 25th captain in Americans’ history and succeeds F Justin Feser, who completed his junior eligibility this season. . . . Topping, from Red Deer, was taken eighth overall by the Chilliwack Bruins in the 2008 bantam draft. He just completed his second season with the Americans. . . .
Jeff Chynoweth, the governor and general manager of the Kootenay Ice, announced Tuesday that F Sam Reinhart is the team's new captain. He takes over from D Joey Leach, who has used up his junior eligibility. . . . Reinhart is preparing for his third WHL season, although he isn’t eligible for the NHL draft until 2014. . . . Reinhart is the 18th captain in franchise history. . . .
Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reports that Silvertips F Reid Petryk is joining the AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters. . . . Patterson also reports that Everett D Mirco Mueller will play for Switzerland at the IIHF U-18 world championship in Sochi, Russia, April 18-28.
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So . . . you’re wondering what Shaw TV will do in the second round of the playoffs.
Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate tells us that if the Kelowna Rockets win tonight’s Game 7 against the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds, Shaw will bring you the series between Kelowna and the Kamloops Blazers.
If Seattle wins tonight, Shaw will televise the series between the Calgary Hitmen and Red Deer Rebels.
By the way, Shaw, with Dan Russell calling the play, will televise tonight’s Game 7 between the host Rockets and the Thunderbirds.
Regardless of the outcome, history will be made.
If Kelowna wins, the Rockets will become the second team in WHL history to fall behind 3-0 and come back to win a series. The Spokane Chiefs did it in 1996 in beating the Portland Winterhawks.
If Seattle wins, it will be the biggest upset, in terms of regular-season point differential, in WHL history. The Rockets finished with 108 points, 50 more than the Thunderbirds.
WHL Facts pointed out on Twitter that the Prince George Cougars have pulled off the two biggest such upsets, having beaten the Everett Silvertips in 2007 after finishing 37 points back and having dumped Portland in 1997 after being 36 points in arrears.
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The WHL’s playoff situation:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
FIRST ROUND
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
(Edmonton wins 4-1)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Medicine Hat (7)
(Medicine Hat wins 4-0)
Calgary (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
(Calgary wins 4-1)
Red Deer (4) vs Prince Albert (5)
(Red Deer wins 4-0)
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SECOND ROUND
Edmonton (1) vs. Medicine Hat (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Red Deer (4)
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
FIRST ROUND
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
(Portland wins 4-2)
Kelowna (2) vs. Seattle (7)
(Series tied 3-3; Game 7 tonight in Kelowna)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
(Kamloops wins 4-2)
Spokane (4) vs. Tri-City (5)
(Spokane wins 4-1)
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TUESDAY GAME:
In Kent, Wash., F Myles Bell scored at 10:39 of OT to give the Kelowna Rockets a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds (of Kent). . . . Strangely, the game’s first six goals all came in the first period. . . . Kelowna F Cody Fowlie scored 22 seconds into the game. . . . Seattle then took a 3-1 lead as it scored three times on its first four shots. . . . F Connor Sanvido, F Adam Kambeitz and F Luke Lockhart, who would hit a post early in OT, put Seattle out front. . . . F Tyrell Goulbourne and Fowlie, with a second goal at 16:20, forged the 3-3 tie. . . . Seattle G Brandon Glover stopped 55 shots, 15 more than Kelowna’s Jordon Cooke. . . . It was the fourth time in six games that the teams went to OT. Seattle had taken a 3-0 lead in the series by winning three times in extra time. . . . The Rockets lost D Jesse Lees late in the second period when he took a check to the head from Seattle F Justin Hickman. . . . Hickman left with a major and game misconduct and could be suspended for Game 7. . . . Lees didn’t return to the ice, although he was on the bench. That left the Rockets to finish up with four defencemen. . . . Seattle was 0-2 on the PP and now is 0-24 in the six games. . . . The Rockets had six regulars out of the lineup — F JT Barnett (ill), F Rourke Chartier (back), D MacKenzie Johnston (shoulder), F Carter Rigby (shoulder, foot), F Colton Sissons (shoulder) and D Mitchell Wheaton (shoulder). As a result, the Rockets had F Nick Merkley, 15, and F Justin Kirkland, 16, in their lineup last night and they saw ample ice time. . . . The Thunderbirds were without F Connor Honey as he served Game 2 of a three-game suspension for a hit on Johnston in Game 4. . . . "We just have to put that game behind us," Glover told freelancer Jim Riley, who covered the game for the Seattle Times. "Before this series began, if we'd have known we just had to steal a Game 7, we'd have taken that every time. We just have to look at the positives."
Riley’s story is right here.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (12):
F Justin Hickman, Seattle (major)

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (4):
None
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From Pat Siedlecki (@radiopat), the play-by-play voice of the Lethbridge Hurricanes: “New @WHLHurricanes GM Brad Robson says it's been a busy 1st week on the job. Already received more than 20 resumes for Head Coach position.”
Check out Siedlecki's blog over there on the right for a Tuesday interview he did with Robson.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
The Augsburger Panther (Germany, DEL) announced that they won’t re-sign six players to contracts for next season, including D Nick Ross (Regina, Kamloops, Vancouver, 2004-09). Ross started the season with Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga), getting one goal and three assists in nine games, before signing with Augsburg, where he had two goals and seven assists in 24 games.
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Another day and another logo similar to the one used by the NHL’s Washington Capitals.
This time a poster to this blog lets us know that the “Central Plains Capitals of the Manitoba Midget AAA League and Female Midget AAA team both use the Capitals logo as well.”
Here’s their logo . . .



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The fog has lifted for Brian Roberts, who is working to get back to what he once was — the Baltimore Orioles’ starting second baseman. He has gone through two concussions but it appears that he is fine now. If you are suffering with post-concussion syndrome or know someone who is, read this piece right here. It’s written by Ken Rosenthal of foxsports.com and it will show you what a long, long road recovery can be.
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JUST NOTES:
The Portland Winterhawks set a franchise playoff record when they allowed just 11 shots in beating the visiting Everett Silvertips 4-1 in Game 2 on Saturday. In the 2005 playoffs, the Winterhawks limited Everett to 14 shots in a game, although the Silvertips won that one, 3-0. . . . Portland D Troy Rutkowski now has played in a franchise record 58 playoff games, one more than F Ty Rattie. Going into these playoffs, Rutkowski had been tied with former Winterhawks D Joe Morrow. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth has played in 56 postseason games. . . . If you missed it, Morrow was traded by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, going to the Dallas Stars in a deal that had former Winterhawks F Brendan Morrow go the other way. No, the two aren’t related. . . .

The WHL has suspended Saskatoon Blades F Jessey Astles for two games for his hit on Medicine Hat Tigers F Matt Staples in Game 1 of that series. Astles sat out Game 2 and will miss Game 3 tonight in Medicine Hat. . . . Staples is believed to have suffered a concussion. . . .
Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that Blades F Erik Benoit, 19, won’t play in the series. Benoit is expected to be out for up to two weeks. . . . “Benoit hasn’t played since sustaining a lower-body injury March 15 in Prince Albert,” Nugent-Bowman reports. “He has been seen around Credit Union Centre with a brace on his left knee.” . . .

Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald reports that the Americans will have D Mitch Topping and F Tyson Dallman available tonight as they resume their series with the Spokane Chiefs. The Americans, down 2-0, will play host to the next two games — and three, if necessary — in the series. . . . Topping hasn’t played since March 8 and has missed nine games. Dallman has been out since Feb. 22. . . . The Americans have lost their last seven games, four of them to the Chiefs. . . .

The Edmonton Oil Kings will again be without F T.J. Foster, who missed the first two games of their series with the Kootenay Ice, with an undisclosed injury. He didn’t make the trip to Cranbrook for Games 3 and 4. . . .
The Oil Kings drilled a bull elk on their way to Cranbrook for tonight’s third game of their series with the Kootenay Ice. “The elk is deceased,” writes columnist Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun. “The bus is disabled.”
Jones’ column is right here.
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The WHL’s first-round situation:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
(Series tied 1-1; Game 3 tonight in Cranbrook)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Medicine Hat (7)
(Medicine Hat leads 2-0; Game 3 tonight in Medicine Hat)
Calgary (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
(Calgary leads 2-1; Game 4 tonight in Swift Current)
Red Deer (4) vs Prince Albert (5)
(Red Deer leads 2-0; Game 3 tonight in Prince Albert)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
(Series tied 1-1; Game 3 on Wednesday in Everett)
Kelowna (2) vs. Seattle (7)
(Seattle leads 2-0; Game 3 tonight in Kent, Wash.)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
(Kamloops leads 2-0; Game 3 tonight in Victoria, Bear Mountain Arena)
Spokane (4) vs. Tri-City (5)
(Spokane leads 2-0; Game 3 tonight in Kennewick, Wash.)
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MONDAY’S GAME:
In Swift Current, F Colby Cave’s second goal of the game, at 10:14 of OT, gave the Broncos a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Calgary leads the series 2-1 with Game 4 in Swift Current tonight. . . . Calgary F Cody Sylvester, who scored twice, forced OT with a goal with 33.2 seconds left in the third period. Sylvester scored with the goaltender on the bench for the extra attacker. The Broncos had two chances to clear the zone before Sylvester scored. Swift Current D Reece Scarlett, who drew an assist on each of his side’s first two goals, was off for delay of game — yes, it was for clearing the puck over the glass — at the time. . . . F Adam Lowry had Swift Current’s other goal and also had two assists. . . . Sylvester and Lowry have three goals each in the three games. . . . Broncos G Eetu Laurikainen stopped 43 shots, 17 of them in the first period. . . . G Chris Driedger of the Hitmen turned aside 39 shots. . . . This was the Broncos’ first home playoff game since the spring of 2009. The Broncos didn’t qualify in either of the last two seasons and in 2010 were bumped from their home arena by the world women’s curling championship.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (5):
None

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (2):
None
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From Swift Current D Reece Scarlett (@reecescartlett7): “What a roller coaster of emotions. Still trying to take a deep breath . . . #whyweplay”


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Michael Grabner (Spokane, 2004-07) signed a lockout contract with hometown team Villach (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had 20 goals and 12 assists in 78 games with the New York Islanders last season. Grabner is scheduled to arrive in Austria today and hopes to be in the lineup on Sunday when Villach plays at home against Dornbirn. The Villach club press release thanks six local sponsors for coming up with the funds to pay Grabner, with a special thanks to Kleinen Zeitung, the regional newspaper, which is picking up half the tab. . . .
F Lukas Vantuch (Calgary, Lethbridge, 2005-06) has been reassigned on loan by Liberec (Czech Republic, Extraliga) to Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He has no points in five games with Liberec this season and had no points in one game on loan to Benatky nad Jizerou (Czech Republic, 1.Liga). Last season, Vantuch had nine goals and five assists in 52 games with Liberec.
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Former WHL D Kevin Kraus (Kamloops, Tri-City, 2006-08) is fortunate to be alive today.
Kraus, a 23-year-old from Garden Grove, Calif., fell asleep while driving on Wednesday night and ended up in the ditch, his truck wrecked. He was on the Trans-Canada Highway, just outside of Sicamous, which is 73km west of Revelstoke.
Kraus now is the general manager and head coach of the junior B Revelstoke Grizzlies, who play in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.
Here’s what he wrote Thursday morning on Facebook: “Fell asleep at the wheel last night and totaled my truck... very lucky to be able to walk away from it and be alive right now, very thankful for the people who helped me last night. Life changing experience.”
On Thursday night, I asked him how he managed to survive.
“I have no idea . . . must be destined to do something!” he told me. “Very lucky and blessed to be alive right now and walk away with no injuries.”
As he dozed off behind the wheel, he said, “I went over a barrier and flipped and landed in between trees.”
If you are at all familiar with the terrain off the Trans-Canada Highway in that neck of the woods, you know just what a disaster this could have been.
The Grizzlies (4-2-0-1) return to action tonight in Armstrong, B.C., against the North Okanagan Knights.
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Followers of the Spokane Chiefs got a taste Thursday afternoon of what Twitter can be like when there’s a race to be first.
Here it is, in order of appearance:
SpokaneChiefsFanPage (@gochiefsgoblog): “Waiting for an official announcement but goaltender Mac Engel is gone from Spokane”
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Ben&StephenTH (@BenStephenTH): “Heading @chiefshockey G Mac Engel has been traded. Wonder if Vancouver may have been interested”
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Foofieq (@Foofiebrown): “@gochiefsgoblog: Waiting for an official announcement but goaltender Mac Engel is gone from Spokane”
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Susie Bush (@AgateShadow): “Is it true that Mac Engel is leaving the Chiefs? @ChiefsHockey)”
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Jess Brown (@jbrown_SRSports): “Just got off the phone with @chiefshockey GM Tim Speltz. Says G Mac Engel HAS NOT been traded. That’s as much as I have right now.”
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Ben&StephentH (@BenStephenTH): “Per @jbrown_SRSports who just got off the phone with Chiefs GM Tim Speltz. Mac Engel has NOT been traded.”
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Through it all, Engel’s name remained on the Chiefs’ roster.
Granted, the Chiefs are carrying three goaltenders, with Engel, a 19-year-old from Red Deer, one of them. Also in the mix are Eric Williams, a 19-year-old from Langley, B.C., who was acquired last season from the Prince Albert Raiders, and Garret Hughson, a 17-year-old freshman from Foremost, Alta.
Chances are the Chiefs will get down to two goaltenders and it very well could happen in the next few days.
But it simply isn’t fair to anyone when people to start spitting out gossip and rumours on the Twitterverse.
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The Regina Pats should have D Colton Jobke, 20, in the lineup tonight when they play host to the Red Deer Rebels. Jobke, who likely will be named Regina’s captain, had been in camp with the AHL’s Houston Aeros but was returned yesterday. That leaves the Pats with four 20-year-olds, the others being F Lane Scheidl, F Andrew Rieder, who is coming off shoulder surgery and has yet to play, and G Matt Hewitt. . . . Tonight’s game in Regina features the return of D Brandon Underwood, 20, to the Saskatchewan capital. Caught with too many 20s, the Pats dealt him to Red Deer late last month.
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So . . . what is wrong with the Vancouver Giants, who lost 7-0 to the Rockets in Kelowna on Wednesday and go into the weekend with the poorest winning percentage in the 22-team WHL?
“I’m not frustrated,” head coach Don Hay was telling reporters on Thursday, and if you believe that you are expecting the NHL to be back in action in 10 days.
As Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province points out, the Giants have picked a bad time to lay an egg, what with the NHL’s Canucks on the sidelines and there being lots of hungry hockey fans to try and get into your building.
The Giants also are walking a bit of a tightrope because they are planning on bidding for the 2016 Memorial Cup tournament. Which means they need to hang on to their good, young players in order to ensure that they are competitive then.
Anyway . . . Ewen takes a look at the situation right here.
Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun writes about the Giants’ start right here.
The Giants entertain the Medicine Hat Tigers tonight. Vancouver is expected to start G Tyler Fuhr, who has the club’s only victory, having beaten the visiting Spokane Chiefs 3-2 on Sunday.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes are in Kennewick, Wash., to play the Tri-City Americans tonight, which means it’s something of a Topping family reunion. . . . Mitch, 19, is a defenceman with the Americans. Joel, 17, is a freshman defenceman with the Hurricanes. . . . This will be the first time they’ve lined up against each other. . . . Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald reports right here that Mitch was planning on taking his younger brother for some Baskin-Robbins ice cream on Thursday.
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If you were watching Thursday’s NFL game on Sportsnet, you saw at least two plugs for Friday night hockey, featuring the Calgary Hitmen at the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Unfortunately, Sportsnet got a bit ahead of itself. That game is next Friday (Oct. 12). . . . Tonight, you will have to get by with the Shaw TV game, which features the Seattle Thunderbirds at the Kamloops Blazers.
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THURSDAY:
F Logan McVeigh scored the game’s first goal and finished plus-3 as his Prince Albert Raiders went into Edmonton and beat the Oil Kings, 4-1, in the night’s only game. . . . Raiders G Luke Siemens stopped 33 shots. . . . Edmonton F Dylan Wruck was back in the lineup after recovering from shoulder surgery. He was reunited with T.J. Foster and Michael St. Croix but it wasn’t a night to remember as each was minus-3. . . . The Raiders are 4-0-1 and own the WHL’s best winning percentage (.900). They meet the Hitmen in Calgary tonight and the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook on Sunday. . . . The defending-champion Oil Kings have lost two in a row, both at home. The last time that happened was in January 2011 when they dropped four straight at home. . . . The Oil Kings get back on the horse Saturday against the visiting Saskatoon Blades.
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CHECKING FROM BEHIND COUNT:
None.
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CHECKING TO THE HEAD COUNT:
None.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
Joel Topping (@topping9): “RT if you think @mitchtopping and I should fight tomorrow”

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A few weeks ago, the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League came down on the coaching staff of the Soo Thunderbirds, just prior to the team leaving for the Royal Bank Cup. Among the things that the NOJHL investigated was the alleged drinking of alcholic beverages on the team bus.
Well, the NOJHL has completed its investigation and, as Randy Russon of juniorhockey.com reports, the team “will pay a heavy price . . .”
That story is right here.
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And here’s another note from Russon, one with chilling concussion-related details:
Friends of Paul (Turk) Theriault are honouring the retired junior hockey coach with a tribute golf event, slated for July 16 at the Wooden Sticks Golf Club in Uxbridge, Ont., which is just east of Toronto.
The tournament has been slugged 'A Tribute to Turk'.
Details on the event are included on a special website.
A concussion that Theriault suffered about 40 years ago while playing hockey for the Lake Superior State Lakers has surfaced with irreversible effects that have severely limited his abilities.
Organizers of the tournament are hoping that as well as recognizing Theriault contributions as a coach, including 14 seasons in the OHL with Soo Greyhounds, Oshawa Generals and Erie Otters, the golf tournament will help to offset the financial cost of Paul's continuing and increasing need for therapy and care.
The planning for the event is progressing under the direction of Scott McCrory and Norm Schmidt, two of Theriault's former Oshawa players.
Theriault closed out his coaching career two years ago in the NOJHL with the Soo Eagles.
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You may want to check this out right here. It’s a trailer for a movie titled Ogilthorpe. . . . Yes, it’s that kind of movie. But remember . . . it’s only a movie. . . . Oh, and did I mention that the film makers are looking for investors?
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Jennifer Pagliaro of the Toronto Star has a story right here about a coach in Newfoundland — a volunteer coach — who has been suspended and fined , as the head line reads, “for letting players skip opening ceremony to study for exams.” . . . Seriously! . . . The appeal now has been dumped into the laps of the pooh-bahs at Hockey Canada.
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The Swift Current Broncos have signed F Glenn Gawdin, the fifth overall selection in the 2012 bantam draft. From Richmond, B.C., Gawdin had 90 points, including 58 goals, in 43 games with the Seafair Islanders of the Pacific Coast bantam league. . . . Gawdin is the first of the Broncos’ 2012 draft picks to sign a contract.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds have signed F Keegan Kolesar and D Ethan Bear, both of them 2012 bantam picks, to WHL contracts. . . . Kolesar, from Winnipeg, was the 20th overall selection. He had 33 points, including 22 goals, and 84 penalty minutes in 27 games with the bantam AAA Winnipeg Hawks. . . . Bear, a second-round pick from Ochapowace, Sask., had 44 points and 45 penalty minutes for the bantam Tier 1 team at POE in Penticton.
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Tweet of the day:
From Tri-City Americans D Mitch Topping (@mitchtopping): “Great round of golf with Craig and Sr. Weebs today at Wolf Creek. Sorry to the beer cart lady who took one in the back, nice one Dad.”

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Jessi and her friends Mitch Topping (left) and Justin Feser.
(Photo courtesy of Carrie Carlson)

If you are a regular visitor to this site, you will be familiar with the story of Jessi, the young lady who is a huge fan of the Tri-City Americans and has Down Syndrome.
Well, the Americans held their annual miniature golf tournament for players and booster club members on Sunday and, yes, Jessi played a big part in it.
As usual, Dawn Johnson, one of Jessi’s teachers and a big Americans fan herself, fills us in:
“With the graduation of Taylor Procyshen and Kruise Reddick, Jessi's mom, Tracy Engel, was a little nervous about who would be kind enough to play a round with Jessi. Adam Hughesman has been a great friend to Jessi, but he was away at the New York Islanders' camp.
“But we shouldn't have worried — Kruise had texted Justin Feser before the event and asked him to make sure Jessi was looked after.
“So Justin and his friend and new teammate Mitch Topping joined Jessi on the (mini) links.
“Similar to last year with Kruise and Adam, they played half of the game blindfolded — as you remember Jessi lost her sight a few years ago. Justin said he was amazed at how difficult it was to play while blindfolded.
“I was extremely proud of both Justin and Mitch, and the rest of the team who continue to amaze and inspire me.
“Last season during the ‘Skate with the Ams’ after each Sunday night game, many of the boys were fighting over who would be next to push Jessi in her wheelchair on the ice. It definitely is a highlight for Jessi.”
It sounds like Jessi’s involvement is a highlight for the Tri-City players, too.
Well done, guys!
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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Dustin Kohn (Calgary, Brandon, 2003-06) signed a one-year contract with Örebro (Sweden, Allsvenskan). He had two goals and 13 assists in 45 games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL) last season. Allsvenskan begins regular-season play Sept. 19. . . .
F Mike Bayrack (Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Prince George, 1995-99) signed a one-year contract with the Braehead Clan (Scotland, UK Elite). He had 12 goals and 23 assists in 36 games for the Belfast Giants (Northern Ireland, UK Elite) and four goals and three assists in 14 games for Jesenice (Slovenia, Austria Erste Bank Liga) last season. Braehead plays out of Glasgow and opens its regular season on Sept. 24. The Clan is the only UK Elite team that has not played a regular-season game yet.
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Gilles Courteau is the commissioner of the QMJHL. And he should be applauded. As Chris Cochrane writes in the Halifax Chronicle-Herald, “Courteau has recently made noise about taking the ultimate step — outlawing fighting. He believes such a move would be healthier for the players and would fit better with the league’s desire to offer family-type entertainment. Only a few years ago, the leader of a high-profile league would never have contemplated such a concept. That’s how much the times are changing.”
Cochrane’s complete column is right here.
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For today’s good read, we visit esquire.com and a great piece by Chris Jones, who sat on his couch and watched the Monday Night Football doubleheader. Yes, he heard what Ron (Jaws) Jaworski said. Oh, it looks as though Jones also switched to the Republican debate a time or two, as well. That piece is right here.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Brad Voth (Medicine Hat, 1996-2002) signed a one-year contract extension with the Cardiff Devils (Wales, UK Elite). He had 22 goals and 16 assists in 50 games for the Devils last season. This will be Voth's seventh season in Cardiff. . . .
F Jade Galbraith (Saskatoon, 2001-02) signed a one-year contract with the Braehead Clan (Scotland, UK Elite). He had 28 goals and led the league with 65 assists in 58 games for the Nottingham Panthers (England, UK Elite) last season. . . .
F Derek LeBlanc (Brandon, Calgary, 2003-07) signed a one-year contract with the Belfast Giants (Northern Ireland, UK Elite). He had 25 goals and 25 assists in 66 games with the Rapid City Rush (Central Hockey League) last season.
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Bob Tory, the general manager of the Tri-City Americans, certainly isn’t on a summer vacation.
Tory completed his second major trade in two days Friday, this time acquiring D Mitch Topping, 18, from the Victoria Royals.
In exchange, the Americans gave up F Justin Spagrud, 16, and a second-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Topping, who is from Red Deer, played the last two seasons with the Chilliwack Bruins, who relocated to Victoria following the 2010-11 season.

Former Chilliwack defenceman Mitch Topping now is a
member of the Tri-City Americans.

The eighth overall selection in the 2008 bantam draft, Topping had 16 points in 71 games last season, following a 13-point freshman season.
Topping becomes the sixth experienced defenceman on Tri-City’s roster along with Sam Grist and Zach Yuen, both 18, Drydn Dow, 19, and Matt MacKenzie and Brock Sutherland, both 20.
It is doubtful that both MacKenzie and Sutherland will spend the season with the Americans, who have five 20-year-olds on their roster.
They had six before dealing G Drew Owsley to the Prince George Cougars on Thursday. The Americans got back G Ty Rimmer, 19, in that exchange. The Americans also gave up a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2013 draft, while picking up a third-rounder in 2012 and a fifth in 2013.
Spagrud was a third-round pick by the Americans in the 2010 bantam draft. He is from Gull Lake, Sask., the hometown of Roger Aldag, the great Saskatchewan Roughriders offensive lineman who is in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
Spagrud had 16 points, including nine goals, in 36 games with the midget AAA Swift Current Legionnaires last season. He also played for Saskatchewan at the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax in February.
In his draft season, Spagrud put up 62 points, 35 of them goals, in 26 games with the bantam AA Swift Current Kabos Raiders.
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If you’re a WHL fan, or just a hockey fan, you are going to want to come out and watch the Everett Silvertips when they are in your town in the approaching season.
Why?
Because of defenceman Ryan Murray.
Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal has a look at Murray right here.
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Corey Carlson, who played on the Vernon Lakers when they won the 1989 BCHL championship, was killed last weekend when two small planes collided in mid-air north of Anchorage. Carlson’s wife and two young daughters also died.
Roger Knox of the Vernon Morning Star has more right here.
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Gotta think that the commissioners of major junior hockey’s three leagues about choked on their morning cereal when they read a piece by the afore-mentioned Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal on Dougie and Freddie Hamilton, who are hoping to become only the second set of brothers ever to play together on Canada’s national junior team.
Included in Matheson’s piece is this gem:
Dougie said he didn’t study much during IceDogs’ road bus trips in the Ontario Hockey League circuit.
“A lot of people say players bring their laptops and binders on the bus to do school work, but I’ve never seen it. I think that’s what the league says to convince the people to come.
“I try to get it done before, so I don’t have to worry about it,” said Dougie. “I just do my best and those are the marks I get. In school, I’m there to work and learn. Same as the rinks.”
Read the entire story right here.
Gotta think Paul Kelly of College Hockey Inc. has hit cut, paste and send a few times on that one.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Mark LeRose, who did a stint as an assistant coach with the Everett Silvertips, has joined the coach staff of EC Red Bull Salzburg, which plays in the Austrian elite league. LeRose, 41, will work with Red Bull Salzburg, which has Pierre Page as its head coach, and with the U-20 club. . . .
Lyle Mast is the new goaltending coach with the Tri-City Americans. Mast, who has coached goaltending for more than 25 years, spent the last two seasons working with the Edmonton Oil Kings, and had worked with the U of Alberta Golden Bears since 2007. He is the owner of Optimum Reaction Sports, a goaltender training company that researches and develops programs through biomechanics related to the position. . . . Former WHL/NHL goaltender Olaf Kolzig, who owns part of the Americans, worked with the goaltenders last season but now is working with the NHL’s Washington Capitals, thus the need for another coach in Kennewick. . . .
Derek Lalonde is the new head coach of the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers. He spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach with the U of Denver Pioneers. he takes over from Eric Rud, who now is an assistant coach with the Colorado College Tigers.

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