WHL and fighting: What next? ... Doing some Scattershooting ... Rosetown gets Allan Cup

MLB became less watchable Monday when the Anaheim Angels put outfielder Mike Trout, the game’s premier player, on the DL with a thumb injury that will need surgery. He was injured on a headfirst slide into second base. Hopefully, at least some players will take notice and stop sliding in that fashion.

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On Oct. 7, 2014, in Game 1 of the NLDS, Bryce Harper of the visiting Washington Nationals hit a 445-foot bomb off pitcher Hunter Strickland of the San Francisco Giants. Harper stood and watched as the ball sailed over the right-field wall and into McCovey Cove. On Monday, the two met up again, and again it was in San Francisco. This time, Strickland drilled Harper in the right hip with a 97 mph fastball and a basebrawl ensued. Talk about carrying a grudge!

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I have lived in B.C. for more than 17 years and thought I had seen everything on the political front. Until now, that is. If you aren’t aware, we had a provincial election earlier this month. In that election, the ruling party won more seats than anyone else and got more of the popular vote. But it was close. The result is that a party that won three seats (out of 87) is calling the shots and is about to enter into a four-year deal with the second-place finisher in an attempt to take over. No word on whether the deal includes a no-trade clause. . . . Only in B.C., folks. Only in B.C.

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“Ringling Brothers has packed its tent after 146 years,” writes Cam Hutchinson of the Saskatoon Express. “Word is the Trump administration has hired the clowns.” . . . Any clowns still unemployed are free to visit B.C.

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Is there a political or sporting leader out there today who is better at putting lipstick on a pig than NHL commish Gary Bettman? . . . Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star has a piece right here on Bettman’s state-of-the-NHL address that was given prior to Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final.

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Craig Smith playing without a stick because he broke it...crosschecking a guy.

— Ken Campbell (@THNKenCampbell) May 30, 2017

In Gary Bettman’s NHL, a goal is disallowed via video review because a skate was hovering over a blue line a few seconds earlier, thus the play was ruled offside. Meanwhile, referees choose to turn a blind eye to numerous other fouls. Yes, it’s all a head-scratcher, or a forehead-slapper.

I have an idea - call the rule book no matter who player is. https://t.co/0nMwP06lAJ

— Ray Ferraro (@rayferrarotsn) May 28, 2017

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You know how the NFL protects its quarterbacks? When will the NHL start doing the same with its goaltenders?

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RJ Currie of SportsDeke.com reports: “Tom Brady is promoting an Aston Martin that starts at US$212,000. Yahoo Sports calls the price ridiculously expensive; Gisele Bundchen calls it chump change.”

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Headline on the front page of Tuesday’s New York Daily News and New York Post: DUI OF THE TIGER. . . . The headlines are accompanied by mugshots of Tiger Woods, of course.

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The 2018 Allan Cup will be decided in Rosetown, Sask., April 9-14. The Allan Cup goes to Canada’s senior AAA hockey champion. Rosetown is the home of the Red Wings, who play in the aptly named Chinook Hockey League. G Taran Kozun, who had a pretty good run with the Seattle Thunderbirds for part of 2013-14 and all of 2014-15 after being acquired from the Kamloops Blazers , played with the Red Wings this season.

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F Mitch Wahl (Spokane, 2005-10) has signed a one-year contract with Innsbruck (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with Ilves Tampere (Finland, Liiga), he had a goal and three assists in 16 games. He also played with Västervik (Sweden, Allsvenskan), putting up six goals and eight assists in 23 games, and had a goal and five assist in eight games with Oskarshamn (Sweden, Allsvenskan).

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Prior to the start of this season, the OHL issued another crackdown on fighting.

The OHL’s board of governors decided that a player would be suspended once he had been involved in three fights and again for every fight after that. That standard had been 10 since the start of the 2012-13 season.

The OHL didn’t have any players with more than 10 fights in 2014-15 or 2015-16. This season, the OHL’s pugilistic leader fought eight times. There was one player with five fights, 11 with four and another 24 with three.

According to hockeyfights.com, the OHL had 167 fights this season, down from 315 in 2015-16 and 359 in 2014-15.

The QMJHL had 288 fights in 2016-17, while the WHL had 394.

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Here, from hockeyfights.com, is a look at the number of fights in the OHL (20 teams), QMJHL (18) and WHL (22) over the past five regular seasons, with the average number of fights per game in parentheses. . . .

OHL:

2012-13: 474 (.697)

2013-14: 473 (.696)

2014-15: 359 (.528)

2015-16: 315 (.463)

2016-17: 167 (.246)

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QMJHL:

2012-13: 408 (.667)

2013-14: 445 (.727)

2014-15: 406 (.663)

2015-16: 309 (.505)

2016-17: 288 (.471)

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WHL:

2012-13: 666 (.841)

2013-14: 679 (.857)

2014-15: 467 (.511)

2015-16: 393 (.496)

2016-17: 394 (.497)

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While fighting has declined markedly in the OHL, that hasn’t quite been the case in the WHL where there aren’t any OHL-like limitations.

This season, according to hockeyfights.com, there were 788 fighting majors handed out in the WHL, meaning that there were 394 fights, an average of half a fight per game.

This season, the WHL had six players with 10 or more fights, with a total of 112 involved in at least three scraps.

If you were wondering, 11 of the WHL’s 22 teams had at least 36 fights, led by the Vancouver Giants (48), Lethbridge Hurricanes (46), Spokane Chiefs (45), and Edmonton Oil Kings and Kelowna Rockets, each 44. The OHL leader, the Oshawa Generals, had 28 fights. The QMJHL’s Victoriaville Tigres had 46.

It’s worth noting that there were only five fights in the WHL playoffs this season, down from 11 a year ago. In the spring of 2015, there were seven playoff bouts.

This spring, the OHL playoffs featured 20 fights, while there were 22 in the QMJHL.

In the interest of player safety, fighting is slowly leaving the game. While it’s true that fighting isn’t the No. 1 cause of concussions in hockey, there no longer can be any denying that an accumulation of blows to the head can cause brain damage. So it only makes sense that a league comprising teenagers do as much as it possibly can to ensure their safety.

Perhaps some discussion on how to further reduce fighting will take place when the WHL holds its annual meeting in Vancouver, June 13 and 14.

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The Prince Albert Raiders have signed Ron Gunville, their director of player personnel, to a contract extension through the end of the 2018-19 season. . . . Gunville, a 47-year-old Prince Albert native, has been in this role since the 2015-16 season. He joined the Raiders in June 2013 as assistant director of player personnel, after having scouted for the Prince George Cougars. . . . Gunville is a former WHL player, having spent time over three seasons (1987-90) with the Raiders and Lethbridge Hurricanes. In 91 regular-season games, he had nine goals and 24 assists, along with 233 penalty minutes.

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Might F Tyson Jost end up with the Regina Pats next season as they prepare to play in the 2018 Memorial Cup as the host team? John Paddock, the Pats’ general manager and head coach, isn’t concerning himself with that, preferring to take a wait-and-see approach. . . . Jost, whose rights the Pats acquired from the Everett Silvertips, started this season with UND and finished it with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. . . . Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has more right here.

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Frank Deford, the greatest sports essayist of our time, died on Sunday night at his home in Key West, Fla. He was 78. In the days before the Internet, as a Sports Illustrated subscriber, I picked up each magazine and hoped there was a Deford piece inside. He was beyond great, wherever that is. . . . Daniel Victor of The New York Times has more right here.

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If you’re a regular here, and even you aren’t, feel free to contribute to the feeding of the Drinnan family by making a donation to the cause. You are able to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.

BTW, if you want to contact me with some information or just feel like commenting on something, you may email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

I’m also on Twitter (@gdrinnan).

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Reports on Monday indicated that Joe Shawhan will be named head coach of the Michigan Tech Huskies today, taking over from Mel Pearson, who now is the head coach at Michigan. Shawhan spent the past three seasons as an assistant alongside Pearson. . . . The first place I saw with the story was techhockeyguide.com. . . . A goaltender, Shawhan played four seasons (1983-87) at Lake Superior State, then began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant under Frank Anzalone and then Jeff Jackson. . . . Shawhan later was the general manager and head coach of the NAHL’s Soo Indians (1995-2005), where he was a three-time coach of the year. After that, he was an assistant at Lake Superior State for three seasons before working as a volunteer assistant with the Northern Michigan Wildcats as he worked on completing a bachelor’s degree. He was named a full-time assistant in 2010, then headed to Michigan Tech in 2014.

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Jane Renaud Mickey Renaud's Mom @SpitsHockey was in Mallorca with us @GoldMedalPlates I dedicated Big League to her well done @SpitsHockey

— Tom Cochrane (@TomCochraneMUS) May 30, 2017

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Winterhawks land big one ... Tigers deal goalie to Hitmen ... All OHL final at World Series

F Mads Eller (Edmonton, 2013-15) has signed a one-year contract with Rødovre (Denmark, Metal Ligaen). Eller played his minor hockey with Rødovre. This season, with Gentofte (Denmark, Metal Ligaen), he had a goal and four assists in 25 games. . . .

D Renat Mamashev (Moose Jaw, 2000-01) has signed a one-year contract with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (Russia, KHL). This season, with Sochi (Russia, KHL), he had four goals and 13 assists in 47 games.

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F Kieffer Bellows is leaving Boston University to join the Portland Winterhawks. Bellows, who will turn 19 on June 10, is the son of former NHLer Brian Bellows.

Following this Memorial Day long weekend in the U.S., the Winterhawks will introduce Kieffer to the Portland fans and media at a Tuesday afternoon news conference.

The New York Islanders selected Bellows with the 19th overall pick in the NHL’s 2016 draft. A native of

KIEFFER BELLOWS

Edina, Minn., he was a seventh-round selection by Portland in the WHL’s 2013 bantam draft. That pick was made by Mike Johnston, then Portland’s general manager and head coach. Johnston returned to the Winterhawks prior to this season after a stint as head coach of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.

The 6-foot-0, 200-pound Bellows was a freshman at BU this season. He struggled at times against NCAA competition, finishing with seven goals and seven assists in 34 games. However, he was solid with the U.S. national team, with two goals and an assist in seven games, as it won the 2017 World Junior Championship. 

Bellows spent 2014-15 with the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede, scoring 33 goals and adding 19 assists in 58 games. In 2015-16, he played 62 games with the U.S. National U-18 team, putting up 50 goals and 31 assists in 62 games. He also played 23 games with the U.S. National Team Development Program U-20 team, scoring 16 times and adding 16 assists.

The Winterhawks see Bellows as a power forward along the lines of graduating captain Keegan Iverson, but with a better scoring touch. Iverson had 26 goals and 44 assists in 55 games this season.

You can bet the house that Bellows will get the opportunity to play alongside F Cody Glass, who will be an early first-round selection in the NHL draft next month. Glass, who turned 18 on April 1, is a tremendous playmaker who had a breakout season, with 94 points, including 62 assists, in 69 games.

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For the third time this week, two WHL teams have been involved in a deal involving a goaltender.

On Friday, the Medicine Hat Tigers dealt G Nick Schneider, who turns 20 on July 21, to the Calgary

NICK SCHNEIDER

Hitmen for a fourth-round selection in the 2019 WHL bantam draft.

This season, Schneider, from Leduc, Alta., went 32-11-1, 3.43, .886. In 142 career regular-season games, he is 76-47-5, 3.30, .893. The Calgary Flames signed him to a three-year entry-level contract as an undrafted free agent in September 2015. As a signed 20-year-old, he will be eligible to play in the Flames’ organization, perhaps with the AHL’s Stockton Heat. But don’t forget that the Flames’ parent company — Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation — also owns the Hitmen.

On the Calgary end, this trade was made by former general manager Mike Moore. He was moved up from vice-president business operations and general manager to vice-president and alternate governor on May 15, but is continuing to act as GM until a successor is found.

Schneider began his career by playing nine games with the Regina Pats in 2013-14. On Jan. 10, 2014, the Tigers traded F Logan McVeigh and G Daniel Wapple to the Pats for Schneider, then 16, and a third-round selection in the 2016 bantam draft.

Schneider joins two other veteran goaltenders on Calgary’s roster — Cody Porter, who turns 20 on Sept. 23, and Kyle Dumba, 19.

Aside from Porter, the roster includes four other 20-year-olds — F Matteo Gennaro, D Jaydan Gordon, D Brady Reagan and F Jakob Stukel.

On Tuesday, the Tigers acquired G Jordan Hollett, 18, from Regina for F Matt Bradley, 20, a second-round pick in the 2018 bantam draft and a fifth-rounder in 2019.

Having traded away Bradley and Schneider, the Tigers still have eight 20-year-olds on their roster, including G Michael Bullion. Others are Swedish F John Dahlstrom, F Zach Fischer, D Brad Forrest, D Jordan Henderson, F Mark Rassell, D Kristians Rubins, who is from Latvia, and D Ty Schultz.

The other trade involving a goaltender came down on Thursday, as the Everett Silvertips dealt Mario Petit, who will turn 20 on July 25, to the Kootenay Ice for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2018 bantam draft.

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D Vojtech Budik of the Prince Albert Raiders has been invited to the summer camp of the Czech Republic’s national junior team. That camp is to run in Rokycany and Salzburg, June 9-16. . . . Budik, 19, had a goal and 25 assists in 56 games with the Raiders last season. . . . He was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the fifth-round of the NHL’s 2016 draft. . . . Budik played two games for Czech Republic at the 2017 World Junior Championship.

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The Buffalo Sabres have fired Dan Lambert, who was the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, for one season. Lambert, a former WHL player and coach, went 32-41-3 with the Americans this season. Last season, Lambert, 47, was an assistant coach with the Sabres. Prior to that, he spent six seasons with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets, five as an assistant coach and the last one (2014-15) as head coach. The Rockets won the WHL title in his only season as head coach. . . . A defenceman, he played four seasons (1986-90) with the Swift Current Broncos, helping them to the 1989 Memorial Cup championship. . . . Even before the Sabres fired him on Friday, Lambert’s name had been mentioned in Spokane as a potential candidate for the Chiefs’ vacant head-coaching job.

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Anthony Noreen is the new general manager and head coach of the USHL’s Tri-City Storm. Noreen takes over from Bill Muckalt, the head coach for two seasons, who left to pursue other opportunities. . . . When this season began, Noreen, 43, was in his second season as head coach of the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears. However, he was fired on Nov. 14. . . . Prior to that, the Chicago native spent five seasons with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms, one as an assistant coach and four as GM/head coach. . . . Muckalt spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Michigan Tech before joining the Storm.

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Jessie Leung has stepped down as head coach of the Valley West Hawks of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League and has joined the BCHL’s Trail Smoke Eaters as an assistant coach. . . . Leung spent six seasons with the Hawks, the last three as head coach. He guided them to a league title in 2015-16. . . . In Trail, Leung will work alongside general manager/head coach Cam Keith.

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On this date in baseball history, the strangest looking play ever, courtesy of Jose Canseco: https://t.co/idcSCneDTQ

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) May 26, 2017

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FRIDAY’S GAME:

The OHL-champion Erie Otters broke a 2-2 tie with a pair of early third-period goals en route to a 6-3 victory over the QMJHL-champion Saint John Sea Dogs in the Memorial Cup semifinal on Friday night in Windsor, Ont. . . . The Otters will meet the host Spitfires in the tournament final on Sunday. Game time is 4 p.m. PT (7 p.m. ET). . . .

Last night, F Dylan Strome broke the 2-2 tie with his sixth goal of the tournament at 2:38 of the third period and F Gera Poddubnyi added insurance at 3:45 with his first goal. . . . F Taylor Raddysh (5) upped the lead to 5-2, on a PP, at 12:31. . . . Saint John D Thomas Chabot (2) chopped the deficit to two with his second goal at 16:28. . . . Erie F Warren Foegele (1) iced it with an empty-netter at 19:26. . . . Erie D Darren Raddysh (3) had opened the scoring at 9:56 of the first period, with F Joe Veleno (3) of the Sea Dogs equalizing at 14:10. . . . Erie went ahead 2-1 when Taylor Raddysh scoring, on a PP, at 10:57. . . . Saint John F Julien Gauthier, who also had two assists, tied it, on a PP, at 19:18. . . . F Alex DeBrincat recorded three assists for the Otters and F Anthony Cirelli had two. . . . Erie G Troy Timpano stopped 20 shots. At the other end, Callum Booth turned aside 31. . . . Erie was 2-7 on the PP; Saint John was 1-2. . . . Announced attendance: 5,410. . . .

When they met in the round-robin portion of the tournament, Windsor posted a 4-2 victory despite being outshot, 35-19. . . . The Otters are hoping to become the first U.S.-based team from the OHL to win the Memorial Cup. . . . Sunday’s final will be the first since 2007 to feature two teams from the same league. In 2007, the host Vancouver Giants beat the WHL-champion Medicine Hat Tigers, 3-1, in the final. . . . This will be the third Memorial Cup in a row won by an OHL team. The London Knights won it last year, with the Oshawa Generals having won in 2015. . . . 

Both head coaches — Windsor’s Rocky Thompson and Erie’s Kris Knoblauch — are former WHL players and coaches, who may be coaching their final major junior game on Sunday. Both are expected to move on to the pro ranks after this season. There has been speculation that Thompson will be the next head coach of the Utica Comets, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. 

Jim Parker of Postmedia has a game story right here.

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Thunderbirds can win it all tonight ... Game 6 set for Regina ... Big signing day in P.A.

F Ned Lukacevic (Spokane, Swift Current, 2001-06) has signed a one-year contract with Jegesmedvék Miskolc (Hungary, MOL Liga). This season, he had six goals and four assists with Katowice (Poland, PHL), and a goal and an assist in eight games with the Quad City Mallards (ECHL). . . .

G Brett Jaeger (Medicine Hat, Vancouver, Saskatoon, 2000-04) has signed a one-year extension with Löwen Frankfurt (Germany, DEL2). This season, in 40 games with Frankfurt, he was 2.89 and.895. He was named the DEL2 player of the month for April and was honoured as the most valuable player of the DEL2 playoffs.

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The last "major" Seattle hockey title? The Seattle Totems winning the Lester Patrick Cup (champ of former pro WHL) in 1968. https://t.co/ugADxBe8fV

— Ray Marcham (@rmarcham) May 13, 2017

The Seattle Thunderbirds get their first opportunity to win the franchise’s first WHL championship when they meet the Pats in Regina tonight (Sunday).

The Thunderbirds have won the last two games of the WHL’s championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup — 6-1 on Wednesday and 7-4 on Friday, both victories coming in Kent, Wash.

That gave Seattle a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven final. Should the Pats win tonight, they’ll settle it in Game 7 in Regina on Monday night.

The winner advances to the Memorial Cup that is scheduled to run May 19-28 in Windsor, Ont. The other three teams in the tournament have been established with the OHL-champion Erie Otters and the QMJHL-champion Saint John Sea Dogs joining the host Spitfires.

Should Seattle win the WHL championship, the Memorial Cup tournament would feature two American teams for the third time in its history.

In 1998, the host Spokane Chiefs and WHL-champion Portland were in the tournament, with the Winterhawks winning it.

In 2007, the tournament was held in Vancouver and included the QMJHL-champion Lewiston Maineiacs and the OHL-champion Plymouth Whalers, from Maine and Michigan, respectively. The host Vancouver Giants won it all, beating the WHL-champion Medicine Hat Tigers in the final.

For what it’s worth, neither the Maineiacs nor the Whalers are with us today. The OHL folded the Maineiacs on May 31, 2011; the Whalers moved to Flint, Mich., after the 2014-15 season, and now are the Firebirds. 

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What a feeling signing with the @PARaidersHockey can't wait for the future with this organization! pic.twitter.com/UANw00nAtC

— Ozzy wiesblatt (@ozzywiesblatt) May 14, 2017

The Prince Albert Raiders held an all-access open house on Saturday and during the festivities took time to sign their first three selections from the 2017 WHL bantam draft — D Kaiden Guhle, F Cohner Saleski and F Ozzy Wiesblatt. . . . Guhle, from Sherwood Park, Alta., was the first overall selection. The brother of D Brendan Guhle, Kaiden had 17 goals and 23 assists in 30 games for OHA Edmonton in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League. . . . Saleski, from Warman, Sask., was the 17th overall selection. He had 43 goals and 42 assists in 30 games with the bantam AA Saskatoon Stallions. . . . Wiesblatt, from Calgary, was taken with the 25th pick. He recorded 38 goals and 35 assists in 32 games with the bantam AAA Calgary Bisons.

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SATURDAY’S GAME:

No Game Scheduled.

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SUNDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Seattle at Regina, 6 p.m. (Seattle leads, 3-2)

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MONDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Seattle at Regina, 7 p.m. (if necessary)

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Final resumes tonight in Kent . . . Pats forward gets NHL deal . . . Rockets re-sign two coaches

D Tamás Láday (Spokane, Medicine Hat, 2014-16) has signed a two-year extension with Fehérvári Titánok Székesfehérvár (Hungary, MOL Liga). This season, he had six goals and 17 assists in 38 games. He also was pointless in nine games with Székesfehérvár (Hungary, Erste Bank Liga). . . . Fehérvári Titánok was known as Székesfehérvár II and is the ‘second’ or farm club to Székesfehérvár. . . .

F Mikhail Fisenko (Vancouver, Calgary, 2008-11) has been traded by Admiral Vladivostok to Avangard Omsk (both Russia, KHL). Fisenko had signed a one-year extension with Admiral on Sunday, and now has signed a two-year contract with Avangard.

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A quick hello to all the @WHLPats fans who have made the trip to Seattle/Kent for games 3, 4, & 5.

— TBird Tidbits (@TBirdTidbits) May 9, 2017

The WHL’s championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup resumes tonight (Tuesday) in Kent, Wash., with the Regina Pats visiting the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The teams split the first two games in Regina, the Thunderbirds winning 2-1 in OT on Friday and the Pats bouncing back to take Game 2, 4-3, also in OT on Saturday. . . . The Thunderbirds announced Monday afternoon that Game 3 is sold out. Jon Ryan the veteran punter with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, is scheduled to take part in the ceremonial faceoff. Ryan is from Regina. . . . They’ll stay in Kent for Game 4 on Wednesday night and Game 5 on Friday. . . . Regina F Sam Steel, who won the regular-season scoring title, goes into Game 3 with 27 points, one off F Reid Gardiner of the Kelowna Rockets, who holds the lead. . . . Regina F Austin Wagner has 14 goals, with Gardiner leading the playoffs with 15. . . . Steel holds the lead in assists, with 18, three more than Seattle F Mathew Barzal and Regina D Connor Hobbs. . . . Barzal has played in 12 playoff games this spring and has at least a point in each of them. . . . A note from columnist Rob Vanstone of the Regina Leader-Post: “The superlative work of Cal Filson is one reason why the Seattle Thunderbirds are in their second consecutive league final. The Regina-based Filson spent eight years scouting for the Thunderbirds before being named their director of player personnel in 2015.” . . . 

Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reported Monday from Kent, Wash., that Pats F Dawson Leedahl, who is in his final season of junior, has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s New York Rangers. The NHL later confirmed the signing. . . . Leedahl, from Saskatoon, signed as an undrafted free agent. . . . The Pats acquired Leedahl from the Everett Silvertips last summer. He had played four seasons in Everett. This season, with the Pats, he put up 89 points, including 35 goals, in 71 games. In 19 playoff games, he has 11 goals and 12 assists.

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Travis Crickard and Kris Mallette, assistant coaches with the Kelowna Rockets, have signed two-year contract extensions. They just completed their third seasons with the Rockets. They spent their first season under head coach Dan Lambert, their second season with Brad Ralph and this season with Jason Smith. . . . With Crickard and Mallette on staff, the Rockets hold a regular-season record of 146-55-15. In 54 playoff games, the Rockets are 34-20. . . . Smith, who just finished his first season as a WHL head coach, also is signed through two more seasons.

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The Prince Albert Raiders expect to sign D Kaiden Guhle, the first overall selection in the WHL’s 2017 bantam draft, on Saturday during an open house at the Art Hauser Centre. The open house is part of a move by the Raiders to have 2,000 season-ticket holders in place when the 2017-18 season arrives. . . . The Raiders average announced attendance this season was 2,133. . . . From a news release: “Players such as Cole Fonstad, Carson Miller, Brayden Pachal and Rhett Rhinehart will be in attendance. Also, members of the 2017 WHL bantam draft class — including first-overall selection Kaiden Guhle — will be signing their WHL (contracts) in person at 1:30 p.m.” . . . The open house is to run from noon through 4 p.m.

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In the OHL, the host Mississauga Steelheads beat the Erie Otters, 4-3, on Monday night. The Otters hold a 2-1 lead in the series that resumes with Game 4 in Mississauga on Wednesday. . . . Last night, Mississauga led 2-0 early in the second period, only to have Erie score the next three goals to take a 3-2 lead into the third period. . . . The Steelheads tied it 3-3 at 9:03 of the third, on a goal from F Nathan Bastian (7). F Michael McLeod (10) scored on a PP, at 14:52, to break the tie. . . . Announced attendance at Game 3 was 3,514.

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If you enjoy stopping off here and would care to make a donation to the cause, please feel free to do so by clicking on the DONATE button and going from there.

If you have some information you would like to share or just a general comment, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

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It's official! @tylerwong_5 has been awarded the Key to the City by @Spearmac!! What a great honour for a great leader! #OhCaptainMyCaptain pic.twitter.com/2Igwa3o8E6

— #AllAboard (@WHLHurricanes) May 8, 2017

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MONDAY’S GAME:

No Game Scheduled.

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TUESDAY’S GAME (all times local):

Regina vs. Seattle, at Kent, Wash., 7:05 p.m. (Series tied, 1-1)

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Anholt busy as deadline approaches . . . Ice deals top two scorers . . . Royals, Raiders swap d-men

WHL trades since Dec. 27:

Trades: 24.

Players: 42.

Bantam draft picks: 32.

Conditional bantam draft picks: 6.

(WHL trade deadline is Jan. 10).

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Peter Anholt, the general manager of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, was a busy man on Monday.

Let us count the ways . . . 

1. He acquired two veteran forwards — Matt Alfaro and Zak Zborosky, both 20 — and a sixth-round pick

PETER ANHOLT

in the 2018 WHL bantam draft from the Kootenay Ice for F Brett Davis, 17, F Colton Kroeker, who turns 20 on Jan. 21, a second-round selection in the 2018 bantam draft and a fourth-round pick in that same draft.

2. Left with five 20-year-olds, two over the maximum, Anholt dealt F Ryley Lindgren, 20, and a sixth-round pick in the 2018 bantam draft to the Swift Current Broncos for F Carson Dyck, 15, and a third-round pick in 2018.

3. Anholt got down to three 20-year-olds be trading D Shaun Dosanjh to the Portland Winterhawks for a ninth-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft.

4. The Hurricanes dropped D Ethan King, 17, from their roster. He now will play for the junior B Kamloops Storm of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League.

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Zborosky and Alfaro were Kootenay’s leading scorers. They were scratched from Sunday’s 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Giants in Cranbrook, B.C., signalling that something was in the works.

ZAK ZBOROSKY

MATT ALFARO

Zborosky, a Reginan who was a fifth-round pick by the Ice in the 2011 bantam draft, is one of the WHL’s top scorers. This season, the 6-foot-0, 180-pounder has 28 goals and 16 assists in 44 games. His 28 goals are tied for fifth in the WHL. In 237 career games, all with the Ice, he has 173 points, including 86 goals.

Alfaro, a list player, has 50 goals and 83 assists in 243 games with Kootenay. This season, the 6-foot-2, 195-pound native of Calgary has 39 points, including 13 goals, in 41 games.

Alfaro and Zborosky will debut with the Hurricanes on Wednesday against the host Edmonton Oil Kings.

Davis, from Oakbank, Man., was a fourth-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft by the Hurricanes. This season, the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder has seven goals and four assists in 29 games. In 85 career games, he has 12 goals and nine assists.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Kroeker, from Surrey, B.C., was selected by the Regina Pats in the seventh round of the 2012 bantam draft. This season, he has six goals and 21 assists in 41 games. His 27 points are more than any other player on the Ice roster. Kroeker has 22 goals and 37 assists in 155 career games.

The trade left the Ice with one 20-year-old — G Payton Lee, who is from Cranbrook — on its roster.

The Ice next plays Wednesday in Swift Current.

When all was said and done, the Hurricanes were left with Alfaro, Zborosky and F Tyler Wong, who is the team captain, as their 20-year-olds.

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RYLEY LINDGREN

The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Lindgren, from East St. Paul, Man., had 14 goals and 28 assists in 42 games with the Hurricanes this season.

Lindgren was a fifth-round pick by the Brandon Wheat Kings in the fifth round of the 2011 bantam draft. In 229 career games, he has 136 points, including 56 goals.

He joins F Ryan Graham and F Calvin Spencer as the Broncos’ 20-year-olds.

The Broncos expect to have Lindgren in their lineup when they play host to the Ice on Wednesday night.

Dyck was a second-round pick by the Broncos in the 2016 bantam draft. He is the son of Michael Dyck, a former WHL defenceman who is a former Hurricanes head coach, and a nephew to former WHL D Joel Dyck. Carson has 41 points, including 10 goals, in 18 games with the minor midget Lethbridge Hurricanes this season.

Carsen Dyck, just acquired by @WHLHurricanes has committed to @PennStateHockey; Canes must see chance to change his mind #WHL @CTVLethbridge

— Darrell Romuld (CTV) (@CTVDarrell) January 9, 2017

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Dosanjh moves on to his fourth team this season, having started with the Prince George Cougars and then made stops with the Kamloops Blazers and the Hurricanes.

In 12 games with the Hurricanes, Dosanjh, who is from Richmond, B.C., had three assists. In 154 career games, the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder has three goals and 10 assists. He was a third-round selection by the Vancouver Giants in the 2011 bantam draft. 

The Winterhawks now have two 20-year-olds, the other being F Keegan Iverson.

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King, from Vernon, B.C., was pointless in 14 games with Lethbridge this season. He was a second-round pick by Lethbridge in the 2014 bantam draft. 

Moving the 6-foot-6, 225-pound King leaves the Hurricanes with 21 players on their roster, including 12 forwards and seven defencemen. Obviously, then, Anholt isn’t finished.

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The Victoria Royals have acquired D Loch Morrison, 19, and a fourth-round selection in the 2017 bantam draft from the Prince Albert Raiders for D Brayden Pachal, 17, and a sixth-round pick in 2017.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Morrison, who is from Prince Albert, has two goals and 11 assists in 37 games this season. The Raiders acquired him from the Calgary Hitmen a year ago. In 165 career games, he has 10 goals and 30 assists. Morrison, a seventh-round pick by Calgary in the 2012 bantam draft, was a member of the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos, who won the 2014 Canadian championship.

Pachal, who is from Estevan, Sask., had three assists in 34 games with the Royals this season. In 74 career games, the 6-foot-0, 195-pounder has one goal and eight assists. The Royals selected him in the second round of the 2014 bantam draft.
The Royals are at home to the Kelowna Rockets on Wednesday night, while the Raiders entertain the Hitmen.

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Rockets get sniper from Raiders; Gardiner should play Saturday

WHL trades since Dec. 27:

Trades: 17.

Players: 28.

Bantam draft picks: 19.

Conditional bantam draft picks: 5.

(WHL trade deadline is Jan. 10).

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The Kelowna Rockets have acquired the rights to F Reid Gardiner, 20, from the Prince Albert Raiders for

REID GARDINER

a fifth-round selection in the 2017 WHL bantam draft, a conditional first-round pick in 2017 or 2018, and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2019.

Gardiner, who is from Humboldt, Sask., will turn 21 on Jan. 19. He has been with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins all season and has three goals and three assist in 23 games.

Gardiner is expected to report to the Rockets on Saturday and play that night against the visiting Kamloops Blazers. The Rockets, who are in Kamloops tonight (Friday), are third in the B.C. Division, one point behind the Blazers.

His acquisition left the Rockets with four 20-year-olds, one over the allowable limit. Kelowna looked after that situation by trading F Riley Stadel, 20, to the Edmonton Oil Kings for a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2018 bantam draft.

The Rockets’ other two 20s are F Rod Southam, who is the team captain, and G Michael Herringer.

The acquisition of Gardiner matches moves made by the Prince George Cougars and Kamloops, the Rockets’ prime B.C. Division rivals. The Cougars landed Russian sniper Nikita Popugaev, 18, from the Moose Jaw Warriors on Thursday, while the Blazers

RILEY STADEL

acquired F Lane Bauer, 20, a point-a-game skater, from the Oil Kings.

Last season, Gardiner had 92 points, including 43 goals, in 71 games with the Raiders. In 262 career regular-season games, all with the Raiders, he has 220 points, including 106 goals. The Raiders selected him with the eighth overall pick in the 2011 bantam draft.

Gardiner’s younger brother, Erik, joined the Rockets from the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos prior to Christmas. The Rockets had acquired Erik’s rights in a deal with the Regina Pats.

Stadel, who came into the WHL as a defenceman but has been used up front of late, was in his fifth season in Kelowna after being a third-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft. This season, he has five goals and two assists in 29 games. In 270 games with the Rockets, Stadel had 29 goals and 76 assists. He also played in 61 playoff games, putting up six goals and seven assists.

Earlier in the week, the Oil Kings traded away two 20s — D Aaron Irving and Bauer. They now are left with Stadel, F Graham Millar, who came over from the Everett Silvertips in the Irving deal, and F Tyler Robertson as their 20s.

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The Vancouver Giants have acquired F Jordan Borstmayer from the Kelowna Rockets for a conditional fifth-round selection in the 2017 WHL bantam draft. . . . Borstmayer, from St. Brieux, Sask., will turn 19 on Jan. 9. He was a third-round pick by Kelowna in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . This season, he has three goals and four assists in 32 games. In 96 career games, he has six goals and six assists. . . . Borstmayer was down the depth chart with the Rockets, a team that has a lot of quality forwards, and now has an opportunity to earn ice time with the Giants.

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