Wednesday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Hampus Gustafsson (Regina, Brandon, 2009-11) signed a one-year contract with Stjernen (Norway, Get Ligaen). He had 10 goals and 33 assists in 70 games with Regina and Brandon last season. . . .
F Derek Ryan (Spokane, 2003-07) signed a one-year contract with Szekesfehervar (Hungary, Austria Erste Bank Liga). Ryan had 17 goals and 30 assists in 28 games with the University of Alberta (CIS) last season. He was the Canada West Most Valuable Player and was named to the All-Canadian First Team. . . .
D Nathan Paetsch (Moose Jaw, 1998-2003) signed a one-year contract with Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg (Germany, DEL). He had nine goals and 11 assists in 43 games with the Rochester Americans and Syracuse Crunch (both AHL) last season.
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Fans of the Medicine Hat Tigers should relax. At least a bit.
It would seem that the Medicine Hat Arena isn’t the only one in the WHL that doesn’t meet league standards.
If you tuned in late, Medicine Hat city council has voted 6-3 against a funding proposal for a $94.5-million regional event centre.
This is the latest development in what has turned into a long-running story regarding a potential new facility to replace the 41-year-old Medicine Hat Arena.
It comes with the good folks of Moose Jaw preparing to open a new complex. The Moose Jaw Warriors have vacated the Civic Centre (aka Crushed Can) and will move into a new facility in time for the 2011-12 season.
So . . . after the latest development in Medicine Hat, here’s what WHL commissioner Ron Robison told Amanda Stephenson of the Medicine Hat News:
“I think we were very patient in the Moose Jaw process, and that eventually resulted in a new facility for that city. We understand the challenges associated with funding a project of this nature, but on the other hand, Medicine Hat is currently the only facility in the Western Hockey League that does not meet our standards. We do need it addressed, and we need it addressed immediately."
Right away, fans started to wonder if the Tigers were on borrowed time.
But . . . whoa! Wait a minute here!
It turns out that Robison was singing the same tune in another WHL city not that long ago.
The March 1, 2010, edition of The Oregonian contains a story on the Winterhawks by freelancer Scott Sepich. The crux of the story was how far the Winterhawks had come since being purchased by Bill Gallacher in the fall of 2008, 
In the story, Sepich mentioned that the Winterhawks were working with the city and the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers in the hopes of renovating their home arena, Memorial Coliesum, so that they would be able to use it on an every-game basis.
Sepich wrote:
“Robison has long contended that the Coliseum is not an appropriate venue for the WHL in its current form, citing shorcomings such as the smaller-than-regulation ice surface to the lack of amenities for fans.”
At that point, Sepich quoted Robison as saying:
"It doesn't meet our current standards, but it's adequate for the time being. We're excited about the plans for renovation."
Well, those “plans for renovation” are still just that . . . plans. In fact, any renovations to Memorial Coliseum won’t get started until the middle of 2012. Which must mean that the Portland rink still doesn’t meet WHL standards.
So, Medicine Hat hockey fans, you can breathe easier. Your rink may not meet those standards, but you are not alone.
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By the way, Amanda Stephenson’s story is right here.
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In that story, Robison is quoted as saying:
"I certainly hope council will revisit the matter soon to determine if there's a funding formula or new plan that will work. We had made an assumption that the project would be moving forward in a timely fashion.
"Obviously, that's not the case. We will now have to meet with the city, along with the Tigers, to determine what the alternative will be."
Alternative?
There would appear to be none.
With the NHL going back to Winnipeg, you would have to think that market is dead, at least for now, in terms of being home to a WHL franchise.
Of course, there is a building in Chilliwack that meets WHL standards but the league torched every bridge into it when it allowed the Bruins to be sold and moved to Victoria where the franchise now does business as the Royals.
The WHL would love to get a franchise into Nanaimo, which would give it two teams on Vancouver Island, but there isn’t a major junior-calibre arena there and the city doesn’t have any plans to build one.
John Ruttan, the mayor of Nanaimo, told Walter Cordery of the Nanaimo Daily News in April that he would like to see the WHL in his city but "not if they expect city taxpayers to underwrite the cost of a new arena."
Alternative? Not unless we are headed back to the days when the WHL was looking at places like Fresno and Butte and Anchorage.
Hey, what about Wenatchee, Wash.?
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Dave Barr still is shown on the Minnesota Wild’s website as an assistant coach with the NHL team.
It seems, however, that he might end up as the next head coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors.
I’m told that Barr has been offered the Warriors’ head-coaching job, and that he has been told the team needs an answer from him right after this weekend’s NHL draft.
Should Barr accept, meaning he isn’t able to land an NHL job over draft weekend, he would be introduced to the Moose Jaw fandom next week.
The Warriors are looking for head coach after they fired Dave Hunchak following the end of last season. He has since signed on as an associate coach with the Kamloops Blazers.
Barr just completed his second season on the Wild staff, after one season with the Colorado Avalanche.
The Wild, however, fired head coach Todd Richards after the season and has since named Mike Yeo as head coach. Yeo spent last season as head coach of the AHL’s Houston Aeros and is expected to bring Darryl Sydor along as one assistant coach.
Rick Wilson, the former Prince Albert Raiders head coach, will be staying on the Wild staff. Homebrew Darby Hendrickson is the other assistant coach, at least at present.
Barr also has major junior coaching experience, having guided the OHL’s Guelph Storm (2004-08).
Alan Millar, who is heading into his second season as Moose Jaw’s director of hockey operations. He was the GM of the OHL’s Sarnia Sting (2004-09), after being GM of the Storm (1997-2003).
Barr also played 614 games over 13 NHL seasons.
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The Kootenay Ice, who won the WHL’s 2010-11 championship, have sold 2,029 season tickets, and that’s a franchise record. They sold 1,829 of them for the 2010-11 season.
“We’re very happy with that number. Not satisfied, but very happy,” Ice president and general manager Jeff Chynoweth told Matt Coxford of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman.
That story is right here.
The Ice, as you will be aware, won the WHL title with a roster comprised entirely of Canadian players after Chynoweth chose not take part in the CHL’s 2010 import draft.
Will the Ice be involved in this year’s import draft?
“At this time,” he told Coxford, “we haven’t decided if we’re going to participate in that.”

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

The Portland Winterhawks have a friend in Mitch Lammert, a local hockey player who is battling cancer. Mitch visited the Winterhawks on Thursday and spent some time with the players on the ice and in the dressing room.
That story, from KATU.com, is right here.
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Meanwhile, Jim Beseda of the Oregonian takes a look at the Portland Winterhawks organization and how they’re working just as hard off the ice to as they are on the ice to ensure success. (Did you know the Winterhawks have 40 full-time employees?)
Beseda’s piece is right here.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers, who next play on Wednesday when they visit the Saskatoon Blades, have four players out with concussions. According to Darren Steinke of the Medicine Hat News, F Sam Dezman, F Tyler Pitlick, D Scott Ramsay and D Matthew Konan all are sidelined with concussions. . . . The Tri-City Americans, having lost G Drew Owsley to a knee injury on Saturday, have brought in G Cam Gorchynski, who had been with the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies. . . . The Tri-City Herald’s annual Best of the West poll was in the Sunday paper. If you haven’t seen it, it’s right here. . . .Michael Buble, who owns a chunk of the Vancouver Giants, was a winner at the Grammy Awards on Sunday. His album Crazy Love was saluted as Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. . . .
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SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Chilliwack, F Adam Hughesman scored two goals to help the Tri-City Americans to a 6-1 victory over the Bruins. . . . Hughesman has 38 goals. . . . F Carter Ashton and F Brendan Shinniman each had a goal and two assists for the visitors, while D Tyler Schmidt drew three assists. . . . G Chris Driedger, starting for Tri-City in place of the injured Drew Owsley (knee), stopped 20 shots in his fourth career start. He was beaten only by F Ryan Howse, who got his 40th goal of the season at 17:35 of the first period. . . . Chilliwack G Lucas Gore set a franchise record by playing in his 49th game of the season. He stopped 34 shots but left trailing 6-1. . . . Braden Gamble relieved him and stopped all five shots he faced. . . . The Bruins, who had won three in a row, were without D Brandon Manning (suspended), D Zach Habscheid (injured), D Jeff Einhorn (injured) and F Tim Traber (broken leg). . . . Attendance was 3,804. . . . The Americans are back within one point of second-place Spokane in the U.S. Division. . . . The Bruins hold down eighth spot in the Western Conference, one point ahead of Kamloops. Chilliwack now holds three games in hand on Kamloops. . . .
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In Red Deer, F Brett Connolly scored the game’s last two goals as the Prince George Cougars scored a 4-3 OT victory over the Rebels. . . . Connolly tied the game 3-3 at 18:02 of the third period, then won it with his 35th goal this season, on the PP, at 2:33 of extra time. . . . D Sena Acolatse had two assists for the Cougars, who got 39 saves from G Ty Rimmer. . . . Red Deer F Brett Ferguson ran his point streak to 14 games with one assist. . . . Attendance was 4,527. . . . With the loser point, the Rebels, who lead the Central Division, moved seven points clear of the Kootenay Ice and now are within a point of  Eastern Conference-leading Saskatoon. . . . The Cougars are sixth in the Western Conference, four points behind Kelowna and four ahead of Everett. . . .
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In Swift Current, D Adrian Van de Mosselaer broke a 2-2 tie at 11:53 of the the third period to give the Edmonton Oil Kings a 3-2 victory over the Broncos. . . . Van de Mosselaer has four goals this season. . . . F Jordan Hickmott and F Colton Stephenson had two assists each for Edmonton. . . . And on a weekend when the WHL played its first game in Whitehorse, Edmonton F David Stephens scored his first WHL goal. Stephens is a 17-year-old Whitehorse native. The goal came in his 28th game. . . . F Justin Dowling had a goal, his 19th, and an assist for the Broncos. . . . Edmonton G Jon Groenheyde stopped 25 shots, seven fewer than Swift Current’s Mark Friesen. . . . Attendance was 1,878. . . . Edmonton, which was 0-for-0 on the PP, took three of the game’s four minor penalties. . . . The Broncos were 0-for-2 on the PP. . . . The Oil Kings are sixth in the Eastern Conference, five points ahead of Brandon. . . . The Broncos remain tied for eighth with Prince Albert, just two points ahead of Regina and Lethbridge. . . .
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In Everett, D Zak Stebner scored twice, including the OT winner, as the Kelowna Rockets beat the Silvertips, 3-2. . . . Stebner scored the game’s first goal, at 9:28 of the first period on a PP, and the last, at 2:22 of extra time. He’s got seven goals this season. . . . Kelowna F Max Adolph scored his third goal of the season. He now has goals in two straight games. . . . Everett F Josh Winquist and F Josh Birkholz forged a 2-2 tie with goals 1:21 apart late in the second period. . . . Kelowna F Shane McColgan had two assists. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 33 shots, four more than Everett’s Kent Simpson. . . . Attendance was 5,574. . . . Kelowna closed to within two points of B.C. Division-leading Vancouver and the Rockets hold one game in hand. The team that wins the B.C. Division will be the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, meaning home-ice advantage in the first round of playoffs. the division’s second-place team looks certain to finish fifth in the conference, which is looking like it will mean a first-round date with Spokane or Tri-City, with the U.S. team holding home-ice advantage. . . . Everett is seventh in the conference, four points behind Prince George and three ahead of Chilliwack. . . .
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In Kent, Wash., G Calvin Pickard kicked out 57 shots and the host Seattle Thunderbirds scored the game’s last three goals to beat the Spokane Chiefs, 3-1. . . . Pickard won his 20th game of the season. He is 20-26-8. . . . F Anthony Bardaro gave the Chiefs a 1-0 lead at 10:27 of the first period. . . . Seattle F Travis Toomey tied it at 15:09 of the second and F Colin Jacobs gave his side the lead at 1:57 of the third. . . . F Burke Gallimore got the empty-netter at 19:04. . . . D Ryan Button had three assists for Seattle, while F Brendan Rouse had two. . . . Spokane G Mac Engel stopped 34 shots. . . . Attendance was 2,538. . . . The Thunderbirds are last in the Western Conference, but now are just three points behind Chilliwack, which is eight. . . . Spokane is second in the U.S. Division, five points behind Portland and one ahead of Tri-City. The Chiefs now have one game in hand on Portland.
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SUNDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None to report.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter