The big news on Monday, of course, was the resignation of Paul Kelly as the executive director of College Hockey Inc.
Kelly’s resignation seems to have caught most everyone by surprise.
Todd Milewski, the executive editor of USCHO News (uscho.com), reported that “Kelly was given a choice Monday to resign or be fired as executive director of College Hockey Inc., sources said, and he chose the former.”
No one is talking, at least not yet, but in a text to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN and TSN, Kelly wrote: “Time to move on. I told them I’d give them 2-3 years to get the entity established and operational. It’s been 28 months and it’s time for a new challenge.”
I don’t pretend to have any idea what happened but have to wonder if Kelly perhaps came to the conclusion that without NCAA rule changes he was beating a dead horse.
The situation that is the recruiting battle between the NCAA and CHL will go on forever exactly as it is if the NCAA doesn’t loosen its eligibility regulations. And that isn’t going to happen any time soon. That’s because the NCAA makes rules that govern all of its sports, from football to basketball to hockey to golf to tennis et al. It isn’t about to begin designing special rules for a specific sport.
It was North Dakota head coach Dave Hakstol who earlier this month told Brad Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald that “we are going into a back-alley brawl. They are bringing guns. We’re coming with no weapon and one hand tied behind our back.”
Perhaps Kelly got tired of playing the role of a one-armed man wrestling with a bear.
Milewski’s complete story is right here.
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JUST NOTES:
Further to yesterday’s note about the epidemic of WHL injuries. . . . Last weekend, the Prince George Cougars played without an AP in their lineup for the first time in a month. At one point they were missing 10 regulars with injuries, a number that now is at six. . . .
D Austin Madaisky of the Kamloops Blazers will sit for two games after being suspended by the WHL for a cross-checking major he incurred in a 5-4 loss to the visiting Calgary Hitmen on Saturday. Madaisky was penalized for a hit on F Alex Gogolev; the Hitmen scored twice on the resulting PP. . . . Madaisky will miss a Wednesday visit by the Victoria Royals and a game in Vancouver against the Giants on Friday.
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MONDAY’S GAMES:
In Swift Current, F Brad Hoban scored the only goal of the circus and the Broncos beat the Moose Jaw Warriors, 5-4. . . . The Broncos got the game’s first goal, with Hoban scoring his 15th goal on a PP at 7:13 of the first. They then exchanged goals until Moose Jaw F Quinton Howden tied it at 4 with his 28th goal at 7:52 of the third. . . . Swift Current freshman F Coda Gordon got his 28th goal and his seventh in four games. Gordon and Kamloops Blazers F Tim Bozon lead all WHL freshmen in goals. . . . Broncos captain Taylor Vause had a goal, his 34th, and two assists. . . . Howden also had two assists for the Warriors, while F Kenton Miller added two goals, giving him 28, and a helper. . . . The Broncos were 3-7 on the PP; the Warriors were 0-4. . . . The Broncos, with two straight victories, are 15 points out of a playoff spot with 11 games remaining. . . . The Warriors lead the East Division by 10 points over the Saskatoon Blades. . . .

In Edmonton, the Oil Kings erased a 3-0 first-period deficit and scored a 5-4 shootout victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . F Tyler Maxwell and F Martin Gernat scored in the circus for the Oil Kings to end it. . . . F Dylan Wruck’s 20th goal pulled Edmonton into a tie at 19:23 of the third. . . . F Emerson Etem had given the Tigers a 4-3 lead with his 52nd goal at 17:19. . . . Edmonton D Mark Pysyk had a goal, his fifth, and two assists. . . . Tigers D James Bettauer had a goal, his 19th, and two assists. . . . F Curtis Valk had a goal and an assist in his return from injury, but the Tigers were still without G Tyler Bunz, F Hunter Shinkaruk and D Kale Kessy. . . . Tigers G Kenny Cameron stopped 36 shots. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry came on in relief of Laurent Brossoit with his side down 3-0 and stopped 16 of 17. . . . The Oil Kings closed to within one point of the Kamloops Blazers, who lead the WHL’s overall standings and stretched their Central Division lead to eight points over the Tigers. . . . Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun was in attendance and, judging by this column, he liked what he saw. . . .

In Portland, F Ty Rattie got his 50th goal and 100th point on the same play as the Winterhawks beat the Prince George Cougars, 7-2. . . . Rattie finished with two goals and an assist, and now is one point off the WHL scoring lead that is held by F Mark Stone of the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . Rattie is the first Portland skater with 50 goals since F Josef Balej had 51 in 2001-02 and the first with 100 points since F Todd Robinson finished with 109 in 1997-98. . . . Portland F Sven Baertschi scored twice, giving him 25. He also continued his pace of two points per game, as he now has 80 in 40. . . . Portland F Oliver Gabriel had two assists as he ran his point streak to 11 games. . . . Baertschi is on a 10-game tear. . . . Portland G Mac Carruth picked up his WHL-leading 37th victory. . . . The Cougars and Winterhawks meet again tonight in Portland. . . . The victory lifted Portland, which has won seven straight games, into first place in the U.S. Division, two points ahead of the Tri-City Americans, and to within a point of the Kamloops Blazers, who lead the Western Conference and the overall standings. . . . The Cougars remain 10th in the conference but are just two points out of a playoff spot.
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MONDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.
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MONDAY’S CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Jordan Wyton, Moose Jaw.
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Today’s good read is a good read every week. It’s from Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada and it’s right here.
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You absolutely don't want to miss this. . . . Preacher accuses Buzz Aldrin of being a liar and not having landed on the moon. Aldrin lands moonshot on preacher’s chin. It’s right here. . . . Had a WHL referee been present he would have given Aldrin two for instigating, five for fighting and a misconduct. Preacher gets two for roughing.
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AHH, TWITTER:
A tweet was sent out last night from @GMilIerTSN: “EDM F Ales Hemsky has been traded to NSH for D-man Ryan Ellis + 2012 1st (Conditional) more details to come.”
It turned out to be fake.
So be careful what you read/believe over the next six days.
———
Meanwhile, Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail takes a look at the week ahead right here.


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ASK THE COMMISSIONER:
I visited the WHL’s Facebook page to see what kind of response there has been to the league’s version of Ask the Commissioner. There are some, uhh, interesting comments over there, including this one from John McCarthy:
Why is that even until today, 1 year after the WHL and former Majority Bruins ownership set the wheels in motion to screw over the City of Chilliwack, and the Bruins fans, we the fans of the Chilliwack Bruins have never received an apology for being lied to, fed misleading comments not only from the Commisioners Office, but also from the BoG and even the snakes who sold this team? This underhanded deal, actually violated the WHL's own policy of "not giving up on a market until all avenues are exhausted". You lied and left us all hanging in the breeze when you knew full well that the deal was presented and completed, pending the conclusion of the playoff season. How do you expect the fans of this league to trust you, or any of the BoG's again, when it comes to important information that is released to the very people who keep all these teams afloat, including indirectly your salary Mr. Robison? Can you explain why any WHL fan should trust anything this league tells us again? At least the Weasel Gary Bettman admitted that the NHL screwed up and that Winnipeg and Quebec City deserved teams back in their city. Why are you trying to ignore us in hopes we just go away? Sorry, but unless December 21, 2012 is the end of the world...we are not going away Mr. Robison. I'm gonna stay and remain a pain in your butt until you finally come clean on the "Chilliwack Screw Job".
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Condolences to Derek Laxdal, the head coach of the Edmonton Oil Kings, on the death of his father, John, on Sunday morning.
The Oil Kings announced that John Laxdal, who was 75, passed away “peacefully in his sleep with his family at his side in his home in Stonewall, Man.”
A funeral is expected to be held sometime over the weekend in Stonewall.
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Things are heating up on the NCAA/CHL front.
Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald reports that “College Hockey Inc., is working to enact legislation — either with the oversight of the NHL or through the transfer agreement between USA Hockey and Hockey Canada — to bar Canadian major junior teams from stealing a player who has signed a letter of intent until after the player’s freshman year.”
As Schlossman reports, NCAA teams can’t recruit CHL players, because they no longer are eligible to play at a U.S. school.
“We need to have a deal in place with the NHL and with the CHL,” U of North Dakota head coach Dave Hakstol said. “We are going into a back-alley brawl. They are bringing guns. We’re coming with no weapon and one hand tied behind our back.”
Paul Kelly, the executive director of College Hockey Inc., told Schlossman that “it is our position that once a kid signs a letter of intent, he’s made up his mind and demonstrated it in written form. He should be off limits and shouldn’t be continually recruited until at least after his freshman year. Continued recruiting of players after they’ve committed in writing to college, we find that conduct to be unacceptable. We’ve communicated that fact to the NHL. We’re hoping to bring some order to the process.”
Schlossman’s complete story is right here, including thoughts from Hakstol on the possibility that the NCAA could re-do its rules regarding the college eligibility of CHL players.
Folks, take cover. The shooting is soon to start.
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Morris Dalla Costa of the London Free Press has taken the OHL to task for the decision to suspend Sarnia Sting F Nail Yakupov for not playing in the Top Prospects Game last week in Kelowna.
“The Ontario Hockey League embarrassed and damaged itself on the weekend,” Dalla Costa writes.
“It acted like the schoolyard bully that didn't get his way and in the process proved what many have known for a while — players are no more than meat passing through the processing plant.
“The suspension of Sarnia Sting forward Nail Yakupov for two games by OHL commissioner David Branch was a clear indication that selling tickets, appeasing sponsors and making money — no matter the cost to the player or his teams — is the No. 1 priority.
“This should be the first story handed to a player in the throes of making a decision about where to play the game at the next level.
“Go ahead, play in the OHL, but be aware that they own you.”
The complete column is right here.
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There’s more on the Yakupov story here as the doctor who treated him as blasted the OHL.
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On the subject of that Top Prospects Game, if you watched the game you will recall a fight between F Tom Wilson of the Plymouth Whalers and D Dalton Thrower of the Saskatoon Blades. . . . Well, it seems that Wilson broke a knuckle in one hand during the fight that occurred after he hit F Lukas Sutter with a rather solid body check. Thrower and Sutter are teammates with the Saskatoon Blades.
———
MONDAY’S GAMES:
In Portland, F Sven Baertschi scored three second-period goals and the Winterhawks went on to a 5-4 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Baertschi, who has 18 goals, broke a 1-1 tie with an even-strength goal at 7:15, made it 3-1 on a PP at 11:54 and then scored shorthanded, at 19:13, to give his guys a 4-2 edge. . . . He also had an assist. . . . Vancouver got two goals from Marek Tvrdon, who has 22. . . . Vancouver G Adam Morrison stopped 37 shots, two more than Portland’s Mac Carruth, who won his WHL-leading 32nd game. He is three shy of the franchise’s single-season record of 35, held by Brent Belecki (1997-98). . . . The WHL record of 48 victories belongs to Glen Hanlon, who did it with the Brandon Wheat Kings in 1976-77. Hanlon now is an assistant coach with the Giants. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie, the WHL scoring leader, sat this one out after suffering an undisclosed injury in Saturday’s 3-2 loss to visiting Vancouver. . . . The Giants won three of four games from the Winterhawks this season. . . . The Winterhawks also were without D William Wrenn, their captain, for a third straight game. He, too, has an undisclosed injury. . . . Portland did have F Brad Ross back in the lineup after he was scratched twice for disciplinary reasons. . . . The Winterhawks lost F Brendan Leipsic with a fighting major and game misconduct at 16:31 of the first period. . . . I was listening to the Vancouver broadcast and there certainly seemed to be some confusion as to why Leipsic got the ol’ heave-ho. It might be time to give the referees microphones and let them make the announcements, as they do in the NHL. Of course, referees Brett Iverson and Jason Nissen would have received a lot of airtime had that been the case in this one. After all, they dished out 25 penalties. . . .

In Spokane, D Brendan Kichton broke a 2-2 tie at 19:37 of the first period and the Chiefs went on to a 7-3 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Kichton’s goal, via the PP, was his 13th of the season and 41st of his career, making him the highest-scoring defenceman in franchise history. He broke out of the tie with Sean Gillam (1992-96). . . . F Mike Aviani had a goal and two assists for Spokane. . . . The Chiefs were playing their fifth game in seven nights. . . . The Thunderbirds will play in Spokane again on Friday. . . . The Spokane victory lifted the fourth-place Chiefs two points clear of the Vancouver Giants in the Western Conference. . . . Seattle, which has lost six in a row, is eighth, two points behind the Victoria Royals. . . . The Royals are home to the Everett Silvertips tonight and Wednesday. Everett is 10th, five points behind Seattle.
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MONDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Tyler Wotherspoon, Portland.
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MONDAY’S CHECK-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None.
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For today’s good read, we go to Esquire magazine and a story that has nothing to do with sport. You may recall the day not that long ago when all eyes were on Zanesville, Ohio, where the keeper of numerous exotic animals turned them loose and then shot himself. Chris Jones, who is a terrific writer, delves into that situation right here. . . . It’s a long, long piece, but well worth the time.
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Parents of young hockey players and those players should take a look at this piece by Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail. It’s about John Tavares of the New York Islanders and how lacrosse has help make him a better hockey player. In other words, he didn’t need to play summer hockey.

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Here we go again . . . With a number of players having recently vacated their commitments to U.S. colleges in favour of teams in the OHL, Paul Kelly, the executive director of College Hockey Inc., has opened fire.
Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe leads his Sunday hockey notes with a look at the players who have walked away from U.S. college commitments to play major junior hockey.
“There isn’t an overriding reason why future collegians are opting out of the classroom,” Shinzawa writes. “It could be academics. It might be heat from NHL personnel who believe junior is the preferred route over college. Money could also be a factor.”
Which is where Kelly unloads.
“As much as the CHL denies it,” Kelly told Shinzawa, “there are still instances where money is being paid to the family to lure kids away and de-commit from colleges. It’s off the books, under the table, whatever you want to call it. If your dad is a fisherman, an out-of-work machinist, or a farmer, and a CHL program comes along and offers you $300,000 in cash, it’s tough for these families not to accept that type of proposal.”
Shinzawa’s complete piece is right here.
---
THE COACHING GAME:
Kevin Hasselberg is the new general manager and head coach of the SJHL’s Battlefords North Stars. Hasselberg signed a two-year deal to replace Ken Pearson, who now is the GM/head coach of the MJHL’s Winkler Flyers. . . . Hasselberg had been an assistant coach with the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs. He also has worked as head coach of the AJHL’s Olds Grizzlys.

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

Good Friday . . .

ADAM TAYLOR

In Victoria, F Adam Taylor scored his third goal of the playoffs 48 seconds into the second overtime period Friday night to give the Salmon Kings a 2-1 victory over the Utah Grizzlies. . . . The Salmon Kings, who are dead things walking, swept the second-round ECHL series and now will meet the Alaska Aces in the Western Conference final. . . . F Simon Ferguson gave Utah a 1-0 lead at 2:44 of the first period on a PP. . . . F Keil McLeod pulled Victoria into a tie at 18:55 of the second period. . . . Victoria G David Shantz stopped 40 shots, 10 fewer than Utah’s Jean-Philippe Lamoureux. . . . Attendance was 6,095. . . . The Salmon Kings went into these playoffs as the Western Conference’s seventh seed. The top-seeded Aces beat the host Idaho Steelheads 4-0 on Friday to sweep that series. . . . The Salmon Kings, of course, are in their final season, at least in Victoria, after the WHL made it official this week that the Chilliwack Bruins are on their way to the B.C. capital.
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Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist started his game story:
“It took seven years, news of their demise and even comparisons to the movie Slap Shot, for the Victoria Salmon Kings to finally capture the imagination of the city.
“A season-high crowd of 6,295, attracted by cheap tickets, a Marty the Marmot mascot bobblehead giveaway, and the playoff success of the Salmon Kings, was electric with excitement during Friday night's tension-laden ECHL playoff game at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. The Salmon Kings won 2-1 in overtime.”
Dheensaw’s story is right here.
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The Nashville Predators beat the host Anaheim Ducks 4-3 in an NHL playoff game Friday night. And you can bet that the winning goal brought a smile to the face of Prince George Cougars head coach Dean Clark. . . . The winner came off the stick of F Jerred Smithson after a nifty pass from F Jordin Tootoo. . . . Smithson was a member of the 1998-99 WHL-champion Calgary Hitmen, with Clark as the head coach. Tootoo played four seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings and Clark was the head coach for two of those (2001-03).
Clark just happened to be in Anaheim on Friday, too. The WHL is holding its annual California camp and Clark is there as one of the coaches. He did see the winning goal, but it wasn’t live. Rather, he was at the ESPN Zone. . . . The other coaches at the Anaheim camp are Bruno Campese (Prince Albert Raiders), Don Hay (Vancouver Giants) and Derek Laxdal (Edmonton Oil Kings).
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Paul Kelly, the executive director of College Hockey Inc., brought a few NCAA Division I coaches to Spruce Grove, Alta., recently. While there, there were presentations to players and their families. Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal has the story right here.
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THE COACHING GAME: Paul Baxter has joined the NAHL’s Wichita Falls Wildcats as head coach, general manager of hockey operations and partner. The deal is effective May 1. Baxter had been with the NAHL’s Wenatchee Wild from 2008 until he was released midway through this season. That position later was filled by former WHL coach John Becanic, who left his spot as assistant coach with the Vancouver Giants to join the Wild. With the Wildcats, Baxter replaces Mark LeRose whose contract wasn’t renewed. LeRose was an assistant coach with the Everett Silvertips in 2009-10. . . . Rick Brodsky, who owns the Prince George Cougars, is the president/owner of the Wildcats. . . . Nate Leaman is the new head coach of the Providence College Friars. Leaman, who was the head coach at Union College, was named the NCAA Division 1 coach of the year by the American Hockey Coaches Association last week. He replaces Tim Army, who resigned after six seasons with the Friars. Rick Bennett, associate head coach under Leaman, has been named the head coach at Union. . . .
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Capgeek.com reports that Kelowna Rockets F Brett Bulmer, who has signed a three-year deal with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, will get US$67,500 as an AHL salary, with NHL salaries of $740,000, $790,000 and $900,000. His signing bonus is $270,000 over three years. . . . Bulmer has joined the AHL’s Houston Aeros for the duration of the season. . . . The Aeros, meanwhile, signed Kelowna D Colton Jobke to an amateur tryout. . . . Houston swept the Peoria Rivermen from the first round of playoffs and is waiting for the winner of a series between the Milwaukee Admirals and Texas Stars. Milwaukee won 2-1 in overtime on the road Friday and takes a 3-2 series lead back home for Game 6 on Monday.
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An interesting email hit the inbox today, and here it is, in its entirety:
Conspiracy theory — Were the owners of the Calgary Hitmen "encouraged" by the WHL executive to place their AHL farm team within a 30-minute drive of Chilliwack, so that there would be "plausible cause" to move the Bruins to Victoria? I have always wondered why one of the league's members would do such a thing. Remember that the WHL said in February 2009 that it was looking to move an established team into Victoria. Sixteen months later, there is a building in Abbotsford and an AHL team playing in it. . . .”
Hmmm . . .
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FRIDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES:





In Medicine Hat, F Cody Eakin scored in OT to give the Kootenay Ice a 6-5 victory over the Tigers. . . . It was the first game of the Eastern Conference final, with Game 2 set for tonight in Medicine Hat. . . . Eakin scored his fourth goal of these playoffs at 5:59. . . . This was a wild one, with the Ice leading 2-0 at 11:01 of the first period and 3-1 after one. . . . The Tigers then scored the next three goals, two of them by F Emerson Etem. . . . Ice F Matt Fraser tied it at 7:13 of the third. . . . Medicine Hat F Wacey Hamilton gave his side a 5-4 lead on the PP at 10:03. . . . Fraser forced OT with a PP goal at 18:05. . . . Fraser now has 12 goals. He had two goals and two assists on this night. . . . Ice F Max Reinhart had a goal, his eighth, and two helpers. . . . The Tigers got two goals and an assist from F Linden Vey. . . . Vey has a WHL-leading 24 points. He and Fraser lead in goals, each with 12. . . . Ice D Brayden McNabb had one assist. He leads the WHL with 13. . . . The Ice now is 8-0 in these playoffs when it scores the game’s first goal. . . . It’s worth noting, too, that Ice F Drew Czerwonka and F Erik Benoit each scored his first goal of these playoffs. . . . Injuries have limited Czerwonka, who had 14 regular-season goals among his 43 points, to six playoff games. Benoit had four goals in 52 regular-season games. . . . Ice G Nathan Lieuwen stopped 30 shots, one fewer than Medicine Hat’s Tyler Bunz. . . . The Tigers were 2-for-6 on the PP; the Ice was 1-for-5. . . . Attendance was 4,006. . . . You can bet that this was one to remember for Ice GM Jeff Chynoweth. It was the third anniversary of the death of his father, former WHL commissioner Ed Chynoweth.
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In Portland, F Levko Koper’s second-period goal stood up as the winner as the Spokane Chiefs opened the Western Conference final with a 2-1 victory over the Winterhawks. . . . The second game will be played Sunday in Portland. . . . Spokane F Brady Brassart, who had eight goals in 65 regular-season games, scored his first of the playoffs at 2:11 of the first period. . . . Brassart scored off a rebound of a shot by F Marek Kalus. Brassart hadn’t played since the first game of the Chiefs’ series against the Tri-City Americans; Kalus last played in Game 5 of a first-round series against the Chilliwack Bruins. . . . Koper made it 2-0 at 4:25 of the second on the PP. . . . Portland F Ryan Johansen got his side to wthin one at 19:36 of the third period. . . . Spokane G James Reid stopped 27 shots, 14 fewer than Portland’s Mac Carruth. . . . Spokane was 1-for-4 on the PP; Portland was 0-for-3. . . . Attendance was 7,642. . . . The Chiefs played without F Tyler Johnson, the WHL’s second-leading regular-season scorer. He sat out a one-game suspension for a kneeing major in Game 6 of their series with the Americans. . . . With Johnston out, Spokane head coach Don Nachbaur also scratched F Mitch Holmberg, and went with Brassart and Kalus.
———
FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
None.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Tri-City defenceman Zach Yuen (left) and goaltender Chris Driedger
combine to deny Chilliwack centre Kevin Sundher during a
Friday night game in Kennewick, Wash.
(Photo by John Allen/AridAcres.com)

The OHL has suspended Marty Williamson, the head coach of the Niagara IceDogs, for five games for actions during and after a Thursday night game. Not enough coaches get into it with the officials and then repeat it for public consumption. A five-game suspension would indicate that the OHL doesn't want its coaches going public.
There’s more right here.
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D Luke Fenske of the Vancouver Giants lost some teeth the other night. On Friday, he took time to show off his new smile and Dan Elliott, the Giants’ director of broadcasting and media relations, was on hand with a camera. That pic is right here.
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The WHL has issued a response to the lawsuit that has been filed by former Everett Silvertips captain Zach Dailey. Check out that response right here.
Somewhere Paul Kelly, the executive director of College Hockey Inc., is smiling as he enjoys his morning coffee.
———
Kyle Woodlief of of Red Line Report checks in with a look to the NHL’s 2012 draft and which WHL players may be early selections. You can start with Everett Silvertips D Ryan Murray. In fact, Woodlief and his staff wonder if the first five picks from the WHL might be defencemen. . . . Check that out right here.
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Mike Caccioppoli, who covers the Seattle Thunderbirds for mynorthwest.com, has posted a lengthy interview with general manager Russ Farwell. Lots of interesting thoughts on the Thunderbirds right here.
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F Cody Eakin and F Brayden Schenn will renew acquaintances tonight in Cranbrook as Eakin’s Kootenay Ice plays host to Schenn’s Saskatoon Blades. They were teammates with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship and were the biggest fish in the trading pond at the WHL deadline. . . . Patrick King of Sportsnet has more right here.
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If you’re into the late Stieg Larsson’s trilogy (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo; The Girl Who Played with Fire; The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest), speculation continues on whether a fourth book may be forthcoming at some point. Eva Gabrielsson, Larsson’s longtime girlfriend, has published a memoir. There’s more right here.
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Should the Regina Pats qualify for the playoffs, they won’t be playing first-round games in the Brandt Centre, which is their home arena. The Ford World men’s curling championship will be decided in Regina, April 2-10. With the necessary setup time needed for the curling event, it’s unlikely that the Pats would get into the building for first-round games. . . . Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has that and some interesting stuff on the Pats’ lease negotiations, and it’s all right here.
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This week’s WHL injury report lists 11 players as being out with concussions and four others with head injuries. . . . Craig Hartsburg, the head coach of the Everett Silvertips, will coach his 500th major junior game tonight against the Cougars in Prince George. He also has coached the OHL’s Guelph Storm and Soo Greyhounds. . . . Hartsburg also has coached 491 NHL games. He will get to No. 1,000 combined when the Portland Winterhawks visit Everett on March 12. . . . The Tri-City Americans have recalled F Dylan Fluter, 16, from the midget AAA North Battlefords Stars. An eighth-round pick in the 2009 bantam draft, the 5-foot-9, 160-pound Fluter has 30 points and 45 penalty minutes in 42 games with the Stars.
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SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Brandon, F Scott Glennie scored two goals and set up another as the Wheat Kings dumped the Swift Current Broncos, 10-1. . . . F Hampus Gustafsson, who ended an 18-game drought, had a goal and two assists, as did F Mark Stone and F David Toews. . . . Brandon F Matt MacKay scored 12 seconds into the game. He has goals in six straight games and points in each of his last 13 outings. . . . Brandon G Corbin Boes stopped 22 shots, losing his shutout bid when F Adam Lowry got his 15th goal at 19:19 of the third period. . . . Attendance was 4,508. . . . The Wheat Kings visit Swift Current tonight. . . . The Wheat Kings have won four straight and eight of 10. They are seventh in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Edmonton and and three in front of Prince Albert. . . . The Broncos, who have lost four straight and nine of 10, are ninth, four points out of a playoff spot. . . . Swift Current was without F Justin Dowling (ankle) and F Dillon Wagner (knee). As well, F Killian Hutt (concussion) remains out. He hasn’t played since Dec. 10. . . .
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In Regina, the Calgary Hitmen scored two shootout goals and beat the Pats, 2-1. . . . The teams will meet again Monday at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium in the first major junior outdoor game to be played in Canada. . . . Regina went into this one with a 9-1 record in shootouts. . . . Calgary got SO goals from F Brooks Macek and F Jimmy Bubnick. . . . Regina F Nils Moser scored his fifth goal at 17:10 of t he second period. . . . Calgary forced OT on F Rob Trzonkowski’s second goal at 12:18 of the third. . . . Attendance was 4,167. . . . The Pats are tied for 10th with Lethbridge, five points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Hitmen, who have won two straight, are last in the conference, but now are just six points behind Lethbridge and Regina. . . . The Pats will play in Medicine Hat tonight. . . .
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In Prince Albert, F Quinton Howden struck for four goals to lead the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 6-3 victory over the Raiders, who are celebrating their 40th anniversary this weekend. . . . Howden has 37 goals. . . . D Nathan Deck gave the Raiders a 1-0 lead at 2:30 of the first. . . . Howden then scored twice to put Moose Jaw out front. . . . Howden added a third goal at 2:40 of the third, giving the Warriors a 3-2 lead. . . . His fourth goal, at 13:50 of the third, came via the PP and gave Moose Jaw a 5-3 lead. . . . F Brett Lyon scored his fifth goal in 20 games since Moose Jaw acquired him from Vancouver. Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald points out that Lyon had three goals in his first 143 regular-season games. . . . Moose Jaw G Thomas Heemskerk stopped 32 shots, four more than Prince Albert’s Eric Williams. . . . Attendance was 2,442. . . . The teams meet again tonight in Moose Jaw. . . . The Warriors, who are without F Antonin Honejsek (ankle) and F Brayden Cuthbert (concussion) are fifth, seven points behind Medicine Hat and 12 in front of Edmonton. . . . The Raiders are eighth, three points behind Brandon and four ahead of Swift Current. . . .
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In Edmonton, F Thomas Frazee’s second goal of the game, at 2:32 of OT, gave the Kamloops Blazers a 4-3 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . Frazee, who was playing in his 301st regular-season game, has 26 goals. . . . Kamloops F Brendan Ranford was kept off the scoresheet as he played his 200th regular-season game with the Blazers. He is from Edmonton. . . . C Dalibor Bortnak had two assists for Kamloops. . . . F Michael St. Croix had a goal, his 23rd, and two helpers for Edmonton. . . . Oil Kings F Kristians Pelss forged a 3-3 tie with his ninth goal just 17 seconds into the third period. . . . Kamloops G Jeff Bosch stopped 46 shots. . . . Edmonton G Jon Groenheyde, who was acquired from the Blazers on Nov. 4, turned aside 31 shots. . . . Attendance was 5,492. . . . The Blazers moved three points ahead of Chilliwack in the race for the Western Conference’s last playoff spot. . . . Edmonton is sixth in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of Brandon. . . . Kamloops moves on to Red Deer tonight, while Edmonton is in Lethbridge. . . .
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In Cranbrook, the host Kootenay Ice scored the game’s first four goals and went on to beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 4-1. . . . Ice D Brayden McNabb scored his 16th goal and added an assist, while D Luke Paulsen, recently returned from a concussion, had two assists, as did F Matt Fraser. . . . The Ice had a 2-0 lead when F Joe Antilla and F Max Reinhart each scored shorthanded goals. . . . Reinhart has 30 goals this season. . . . Ice G Nathan Lieuwen stopped 27 shots. He lost his shutout when F Linden Vey, who leads the WHL points race, notched his 39th goal at 8:22 of the third. . . . Attendance was 2,593. . . . The Ice welcomed back F Steele Boomer (ankle) who hadn’t played in more than a month. . . . Ice D Joey Leach (ankle) could be back skating next week. . . . The Tigers had F Tyler Pitlick (concussion) back for this one. . . . The Ice is third in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of the Tigers. . . . The Ice is at home tonight to Saskatoon, while the Tigers return home to face Regina. . . .
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In Red Deer, F John Persson scored his 29th goal of the season at 1:58 of OT to give the Rebels a 2-1 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Red Deer F Adam Kambeitz gave his side a 1-0 lead at 8:58 of the first period. . . . Lethbridge D Daniel Johnston tied it with his seocnd goal at 17:53 of the second on a PP. . . . Red Deer G Darcy Kuemper stopped 27 shots, one fewer than Lethbridge’s Brandon Anderson. . . . Attendance was 4,619. . . . The Rebels closed to within six points of idle Saskatoon, which leads the conference, but the Blades hold two games in hand. . . . Red Deer is at home to Kamloops tonight. . . . The Hurricanes meet the visiting Oil Kings. . . .
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In Prince George, G Kent Simpson stopped 28 shots and F Scott MacDonald scored twice as the Everett Silvertips beat the Cougars, 4-1. . . . D Sena Acolatse gave the home team a 1-0 lead 52 seconds into the first period. . . . Everett F Jari Erricson, who is from Prince George, tied it with his seventh goal at 10:11 of the first. . . . MacDonald, who has seven goals, broke the 1-1 tie at 8:06 of the third period. . . . He later added an empty-netter. . . . Everett D Ryan Murray had two assists. . . . Attendance was 2,003. . . . The Silvertips closed to within two points of sixth-place Prince George in the Western Conference. . . . The teams meet again tonight in Prince George. . . .
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In Kelowna, the Spokane Chiefs erased a 2-1 deficit and beat the Rockets, 3-2. . . . Spokane F Levko Koper had two goals, giving him 31, and an assist. . . . Koper tied the score 2-2 at 10:19 of the second period and D Brenden Kichton got the winner on a PP just 50 seconds into the third period. . . . Spokane was 2-for-4 on the PP; the Rockets were 0-for-2. . . . D Davis Vandane assisted on each of Spokane’s last two goals. . . . Spokane G Mac Engel stopped 22 shots, 14 fewer than Kelowna’s Adam Brown. . . . Attendance was 6,101. . . . The loss, combined with a Vancouver victory, dropped the Rockets into second in the B.C. Division, while the Chiefs closed to within one point of conference-leading Portland. . . . Vancouver travels to Kelowna tonight, while the Chiefs visit the Tri-City Americans. . . .
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In Kennewick, Wash., the Tri-City Americans got three goals and an assist from F Justin Feser as they beat the Chilliwack Bruins, 6-2. . . . The Americans, who have won 17 of their last 18 at home, scored the game’s last five goals. . . . Feser, who finished at plus-6, has 22 goals. . . . Americans F Patrick Holland, who missed their last game with the flu, had a goal, his 20th, and three assists. . . . Americans F Connor Rankin had a goal and two assists. . . . Feser, Holland and Rankin are linemates. . . . Americans D Tyler Schmidt was one and one. . . . Holland, Rankin and Schmidt each was plus-5. . . . Chilliwack F Ryan Howse scored the game’s first goal, his 41st. It also was his 16th on the PP, which tied F Oscar Moller’s single-season franchise record. . . . With G Drew Owsley still injured, G Chris Driedger stopped 14 of 16 shots in his third straight start. He made way for Cam Gorchynski with 14:13 to play. Gorchynski, who stopped four shots, will be returning to the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies early next week. . . .The Bruins dressed only 16 skaters, two under the maximum. . . . Attendance was 5,518. . . . The Americans are third in the U.S. Division, two points behind Spokane and three back of Portland. The Americans hold two games in hand on Portland and three on Spokane. . . . Spokane is in Kennewick tonight, while the Bruins are in Portland. . . .
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In Vancouver, F Nathan Burns and F Jordan Martinook each scored twice as the Giants beat the Seattle Thunderbirds, 6-2. . . . F Teal Burns drew three assists for Vancouver. . . . Martinook also had an assist. . . . The Giants scored the game’s first three goals and the last three. . . . Attendance was 8,387. . . . The Giants moved back atop the B.C. Division, meaning they again are the Western Conference’s second seed. . . . The Thunderbirds now are six points out of a playoff spot. . . . The Giants are in Kelowna tonight. . . . The Thunderbirds are at home to Chilliwack on Sunday. . . .
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FRIDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
Two minors:
Lethbridge F Austin Fyten
Seattle F Justin Hickman

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D Garrett Leedahl, 19, is leaving the Spokane Chiefs due to what the team says is “medical reasons.”
Leedahl, a sixth-round pick in the 2006 bantam draft, hasn’t played since Nov. 2 when he suffered a head injury in his hometown of Saskatoon.
Plagued by concussions, he has played in only 31 games over the last two seasons.
"It was hard to come up with my decision," Leedahl said in a news release. "My family, the team and I came to this point after talking to the doctors and neurologists. We realized it will be best for my future to retire from hockey.
"It is a really tough decision. It was one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make. It’s going to be tough leaving all the guys behind and everything here, but it is something that it is going to be better for my future.”
Leedahl plans on return to Saskatoon and entering the U of Saskatchewan next year.
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Perhaps you can file this one under: If you can’t beat them, join them. . . . The NCAA doesn’t hold a draft, but that hasn’t stopped Paul Kelly, the head of College Hockey Inc., from criticizing the CHL because its three leagues do. Of course, the NCAA feels that drafting players as young as 14 years of age gives the major junior leagues a leg up on the competition when it comes to the recruiting wars. . . . So why not fight fire with fire? . . . According to Chris Heisenberg, the U of North Dakota has received a verbal commitment from D Charlie Pelnik, a 15-year-old from Cary, N.C., who plays for the midget AAA Carolina Junior Hurricanes. Despite his age, Pelnik apparently stands 6-foot-4. . . . Steve Sabo, a former U of Wisconsin defenceman, is Pelnik’s coach with the Hurricanes.
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So . . . the Los Angeles Kings open the season with F Brayden Schenn on their roster. Schenn, at 19, must play in the NHL or be returned to the Brandon Wheat Kings, where he spent the previous three seasons. . . . Schenn played in eight games with the Kings -- he had two assists -- and was a healthy scratch from a bunch of others. . . . The Kings then assigned him to the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs on one of those conditioning stints and he put up seven points in as many games. . . . Schenn is back with the Kings now, and is expected to be a healthy scratch tonight when L.A. plays the Florida Panthers. . . . So much for the conditioning stint being anything but a stalling tactic as the Kings buy time before deciding what to do with Schenn. . . . I would bet that he stays with the Kings for a few more days and then will be assigned to Canada’s national junior team, reporting to their camp in Toronto on Dec. 11. That allows the Kings to buy even more time because, assuming Schenn makes the Canadian team, they wouldn’t have to concern themselves with his immediate future until Jan. 5. In the meantime, you have to wonder what this is doing for Schenn’s state of mind.
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Meanwhile, there are a lot of people speculating that the Boston Bruins are going to assign F Tyler Seguin, the second pick in the NHL’s 2010 draft, to Canada’s national junior team. Why? Because if they do that, Seguin’s contract comes off the books while he’s playing for Canada. And the Bruins, with Marc Savard about to be cleared to play, are badly in need of cap space.
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With assistant coach Dwayne Gylywoychuk having returned to the bench, interim assistant coach Mike Vandenberghe has left the Brandon Wheat Kings and returned to his home at Regina Beach, Sask. Gylywoychuk suffered a broken neck when he slipped and fell in the Keystone Centre over the summer. Vandenberghe came on board on an interim basis with the understanding that his stint would end with Gylywoychuk’s return. . . . D Erik Gudbranson of the Kingston Frontenacs has been suspended for five games by the OHL after he incurred a major penalty for a check to the head in a game on Sunday. Gudbranson is on the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp roster and is to report to camp Dec. 11, a day before his suspension is to end. . . .
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Some highlights from Wednesday’s WHL games:
In Swift Current, F Justin Dowling scored a PP goal at 1:14 of OT to give the Broncos a 3-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . . Dowling had two goals and an assist. He has 36 points, including 11 goals, on the season. . . . The Broncos were on the PP because Lethbridge F Neil Tarnasky was given a major penalty for checking from behind at 18:07 . . . Tarnasky had tied the game 2-2 at 15:50 of the third period. . . . F Adam Lowry also scored for the Broncos, running his goal-scoring streak to four games. . . . F Cody Eakin had two assists for the winners. . . . The Broncos have won four in a row; the Hurricanes have lost six of seven. . . . In a goofy bit of scheduling, this was the third straight game between the teams. The Broncos won all three, two in regulation and one in OT. . . . Attendance was 2,240. . . .
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In Edmonton, F Mark McNeill was the only shootout scorer and that goal gave the Prince Albert Raiders a 5-4 victory over the Oil Kings. . . . Prince Albert G Jamie Tucker stopped 42 shots. . . . The Oil Kings led this one 2-0 in the first period but found themselves trailing 4-2 in the third. . . . Edmonton forced OT on goals by F Josh Lazowski, his ninth, at 10:02 on the PP and F Stephane Legault, his third, at 14:55. . . . Edmonton D Mark Pysyk and F Michael St. Croix each had two assists. . . . Raiders D Ryan Button picked up two helpers. . . . Attendance was 2,794. . . .
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In Kennewick, Wash., F Connor Rankin broked a 1-1 tie at 15:20 of the second period and the Tri-City Americans went on to a 4-1 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers. . . . The Tigers had an eight-game winning streak snapped. They had won in Everett, Portland and Seattle. . . . The Americans have won four in a row. . . . Rankin has seven goals. . . . F Marcus Messier scored his first goal for the Americans. The 16-year-old from Canmore, Alta., scored in his 14th game. . . . Attendance was 3,922. . . .
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In Prince George, F Charles Inglis broke a 3-3 tie at 9:53 of the third period to give the Cougars a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Hitmen. . . . Inglis had opened the scoring at 6:45 of the first period. He has 12 goals this season. . . . After F Brett Connolly gave the home team a 3-0 lead with his 21st goal just 52 seconds into the second period, F Jimmy Bubnick scored three straight goals for the Hitmen, evening the score at 3 at 4:11 of the third. . . . F Misha Fisenko drew three assists for Calgary. . . . Attendance was 1,755. . . . The Cougars now are alone atop the B.C. Division, two points ahead of the Kelowna Rockets and Vancouver Giants. . . . The Hitmen, the WHL’s defending champions, became the first team this season to hit 20 losses. . . .
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In Kelowna, F Zach Franko had a goal and an assist to lead the Rockets to a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Rockets, who began the season 4-10, now are 15-11-0. In other words, they have won 11 of their last 12 outings. . . . D Brenden Dillon, 20, a free agent who is drawing NHL interest, had a goal and an assist for Seattle. . . . Attendance was 6,021. . . .
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In Chilliwack, F Josh Nicholls scored twice to help the Saskatoon Blades to a 7-3 victory over the Bruins. . . . The Blades now are 2-0 on their B.C. Division swing. They are to play the Blazers in Kamloops on Friday. . . . Saskatoon F Lukas Sutter scored his third goal in a week. He has three goals on the season. . . . Saskatoon G Steven Stanford stopped 36 shots. . . . The Bruins were 1-for-7 on the PP, while the Blades were 0-for-1. . . . F Chris Collins, who was acquired from Chilliwack, had a goal and an assist. . . . F Curt Gogol, who went the other way in that deal, had a goal for the Bruins. . . . Chilliwack G Lucas Gore played 28:12 minutes — he was lifted after giving up four goals, three in the second period — and moved into first place on the franchise’s list for minutes played, at 5,339. Mark Friesen had held the record, at 5,328 minutes. . . . Attendance was 2,637. . . .
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In Portland, F Kevin King scored twice, the last one into an empty net, as the Kootenay Ice dropped the Winterhawks, 5-3. . . . King has 14 goals. . . . Ice D Brayden McNabb and F Matt Fraser each had two assists. . . . Attenance was 1,698. . . . Ice G Nathan Lieuwen stopped 24 shots, including a second-period penalty shot by F Oliver Gabriel. . . . The Winterhawks have lost four in a row. . . . The Ice has won three in a row and is one point behind the Eastern Conference-leading Saskatoon Blades.
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WEDNESDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
One major:
Lethbridge F Neil Tarnasky

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