THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Ricard Blidstrand (Regina, Prince George, 2010-12) has been assigned on loan by Västerås (Sweden, Allsvenskan) to Kallinge/Ronneby (Sweden, Division 1). The term of the loan is open-ended. Blidstrand had five goals and 21 assists in 62 games split between Regina and Prince George last season.
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As you make your way through today, please take a moment and remember the tragedy that hit the hockey world one year ago. It was on Sept. 7, 2011 that the plane carrying Lokomotiv Yaroslavl went down, killing all of the hockey team’s personnel, including former WHL player and coach Brad McCrimmon.
A memorial parade is scheduled for today in Yaroslavl and Maureen McCrimmon, Brad’s widow, and their two children, Carlin and Liam, will be there.
Eric Duhatschek of The Globe and Mail talks with Kelly McCrimmon, Brad’s brother and the owner/GM of the Brandon Wheat Kings, right here.
It also came to light on Thursday that the two pilots of that particular plane were in the air illegally. There’s more on that right here.
Tal Pinchevsky of NHL.com takes a look right here at the players and coaches who died in the crash.
And for today’s good read check out this piece right here by Scott Burnside of espn.com as he visits with Brad McCrimmon’s family.
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Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a piece right here on Blades G Andrey Makarov, who rejoined the team on Tuesday. The kid had a tremendously busy summer – when will the pooh-bahs start letting these guys get away from the game for more than a few days during the summer? – and you can bet Blades’ GM/head coach Lorne Molleken will be closely monitoring the workload this season.
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The Prince George Cougars have signed D Tanner Lishchynsky, a 1995-born skater from Saskatoon. The 6-foot-0, 172-pounder played the last two seasons with the midget AAA Saskatoon Blazers. He had 27 points in 41 games last season. . . . Lishchynsky is one of 10 defencemen on the Cougars’ roster going into a two-game set at home against the Edmonton Oil Kings.
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Hockey Alberta is the latest sports organization to made the decision to implement the Respect in Sport parent and activity leader programs. Respect in Sport is an on-line bullying, abuse, harassment and neglect prevention program that is the brainchild of partners Wayne McNeil and former NHL/WHL player Sheldon Kennedy. . . . There is more right here on Hockey Alberta’s decision.
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The NHL’s New Jersey Devils have signed two WHLers – D Reece Scarlett of the Swift Current Broncos and D Damon Severson of the Kelowna Rockets – to three-year entry-level contracts. . . . Scarlett was a sixth-round pick in the 2011 NHL draft. Last season, he had 49 points in 71 games with the Broncos. . . . Severson was taken in the second round of the 2012 NHL draft and attended the Devils' summer came in mid-July. Last season, he had 37 points in 56 games with Kelowna.
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JUST NOTES: D Alex Theriau, 20, of the Medicine Hat Tigers won’t play until perhaps October as he continues to recover from off-season hip surgery. . . . F Sean Aschim, 20, had been in Medicine Hat’s camp but was released and has joined the SJHL’s Melville Millionaires. . . . The WHL-champion Edmonton Oil Kings are in Prince George for games tonight and Saturday with the Cougars. Evan Daum of the Edmonton Journal reports that the Oil Kings left a number of veterans at home, including F T.J. Foster, D Martin Gernat, D Keegan Lowe, F Michael St. Croix and F Henrik Samuelsson. D Griffin Reinhart did make the trip and is expected to play in at least one of the games.
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When you think of hard-hitting football players of recent times, the name Rodney Harrison may be one of the first ones to spring to mind. He’s retired now and, at the age of 39, says he is “scared to death of what may happen to me.” There’s more right here.
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You are the coach of a high school football team. You are 0-2 and have been outscored 98-8. You have 14 healthy players. You had 16 but two have missed time with concussions. What do you do? Cadott, Wisc., head coach Perry Myren called off the rest of the season. . . . That story is right here.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Shaone Morrisonn (Kamloops, 1999-2002) signed a one-year contract with Spartak Moscow (Russia, KHL). He had four goals and 11 assists in 65 games with the Rochester Americans (AHL) last season. . . .
D Sergei Klimentyev (Medicine Hat, 1993-95) signed a one-year contract with Berkut Kiev (Ukraine, Professionalnaya Liga). He had three goals and 17 assists in 24 games with Sokil Kiev (Ukraine, Professionalnaya Liga) last season. Klimentyev was also captain of the Ukraine national team at the World Division 1 Championships held in April. . . .
D Ricard Blidstrand (Regina, Prince George, 2010-12) signed a one-year contract with Västerås (Sweden, Allsvenskan). He had five goals and 21 assists in 62 games with the Pats and the Cougars last season.
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The WHL’s board of governors spent a couple of days this week holding its annual general meeting in Vancouver.
When it was all done, the WHL issued a press release.
And there, slightly more than halfway through the release, is this sentence:
“Despite a slight increase in concussions, the WHL remains confident the Seven Point Plan will assist in reducing concussions in the future.”
That is followed by this explanation from Ron Robison, the WHL’s commissioner:
"We anticipated the rate of concussions may increase this past season as there is more emphasis being placed now than ever before on the care and treatment of concussion injuries. We remain confident that the WHL's Seven Point Plan will address this matter effectively and reduce concussions in the seasons ahead."
If you are late to this party, WHL players experienced more than 100 concussions during the 2010-11 season. During that season, the WHL’s weekly injury report broke down injuries, and concussions were reported as concussions.
But the WHL chose prior to last season to stop reporting on concussions, instead listing all injuries as being of the upper- or lower-body variety.
So, in fact, we don’t know how many concussions there were during the 2011-12 season; nor do we know Robison’s definition of “slight” as in "slight increase."
But we now know that there WAS an increase and that simply is abhorrent.
In case you have forgotten, here is the Seven-Point Plan that was announced a year ago (according to the WHL, it is a comprehensive approach to addressing blows to the head and concussions):
1. The adoption of new playing rules;
2. More severe suspensions for repeat offenders;
3. Production of an educational video on risks of concussion;
4. Educating the players to be more responsible for themselves on the ice;
5. A seminar for all WHL head coaches and general managers;
6. New soft cap elbow and shoulder pads;
7. Expanded research data; and,
8. A review of all WHL arena facilities safety standards.
The news release issued Wednesday contained some different wording from the Seven-Point Plan of a year ago:
1. Continued emphasis on discipline as it applies to repeat offenders;
2. Production of an education video on player safety;
3. Seminar for all general managers and head coaches on September 11, 2012;
4. Continuing to provide players with best available protective equipment;
5. Working with the WHL Arena Advisory Committee to adopt acrylic glass as a standard for all WHL arenas;
6. Continuing to collect and study research data on concussion injuries and their causes.
Note that there aren’t any new playing rules this time, so it’s now a six-point plan. There also is nothing about softening elbow and shoulder pads. Nor is there anything about moving to ban fighting.
Unfortunately, the WHL didn’t provide a breakdown of what is causing the more than 200 concussions its players have suffered over the last two seasons.
Regardless, the WHL has proven it isn’t doing enough to reduce the number of concussions suffered by its players. Yes, hockey is a contact sport, so there are always going to be concussions. But more than 100 in a season, and then there’s an increase the following season? That borders on the ridiculous, especially with all the developments in concussion research in recent times revealing just how debilitating these injuries can be.
Perhaps the folks who run the WHL aren’t aware of what is happening in NFL circles.
Here’s the start of a piece by Darren Heitner that appeared in Forbes Magazine earlier this week:
“On August 17, 2011, the first ‘NFL concussion lawsuit’ was filed by seven former football players and their wives. Roughly 10 months later, there are a total of 89 lawsuits with over 2,400 former NFL players named as plaintiffs, and a consolidated ‘Master Complaint’ that summarizes all of the players' claims against the NFL, NFL Properties (the merchandising and licensing arm of the NFL), and Riddell (the NFL helmet manufacturer).
“The listed defendants have until August 9, 2012 to file a responsive pleading, which will undoubtedly be in the form of a Motion to Dismiss. With the potential of billions of dollars in damages awarded to the thousands of plaintiffs (think Big-Tobacco-like liability), the NFL will pump a lot of money into trying to put the litigation to bed at an early stage.”
Think about that for a moment — “Big Tobacco-like liability.”
Heitner’s complete piece is right here and should be mandatory reading for anyone involved in managing a team or a sports league. By the way, Heitner is an attorney.
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Meanwhile . . . the WHL left its playoff format in place; in fact, it said it will remain the same for the next two seasons. . . . The WHL said it will release its preseason schedule on June 21 and its regular-season schedule on June 27.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Dave Allison is the new head coach of the AHL’s Peoria Rivermen. He replaces Jared Bednar. The NHL’s St. Louis Blues had announced Tuesday that Bednar’s contract wouldn’t be renewed. Allison, 53, is a veteran coach who had been on the scouting staff of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He will stay with the Penguins through June 30. . . . Allison coached the AHL’s Iowa Stars from 2005-08. At that time, he worked under Doug Armstrong, who then was the GM of the NHL’s Dallas Stars and now is the Blues’ GM. . . .
Willie Desjardins, a former GM and head coach of the Medicine Hat Tigers, is the new head coach of the Texas Stars, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars. . . . Desjardins, 55, has spent the last two seasons as an associate coach with Dallas. . . . Desjardins replaces Jeff Pyle. He and assistant coach Jeff Truitt were dismissed after a season in which the Stars went 31-40-5 and missed the playoffs. . . .
Sylvain Lefebvre has been hired as head coach of the Hamilton Bulldogs, the AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens. . . . Lefebvre, 44, takes over from Clement Jodoin, who is to meet with Canadiens’ head coach Michel Therrien about an assistant coaching position in Montreal. . . . Lefebvre, who had a 19-season pro playing career, has been an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche for the last three seasons. . . .
Eric Veilleux revealed Wednesday afternoon that he won’t be returning as head coach of the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes, who won the Memorial Cup last month as the host team. . . . There has been considerable speculation of late that he was in line for an NHL assistant coaching position.
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There is nothing like baseball when it comes to statistics, trivial and otherwise.
Check out this piece right here from ESPN Stats & Information. It is loaded with interesting numbers and tidbits from the perfect game thrown by Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants last night.
For starters, the home plate umpire was Ted Barrett, who now is the only ump in MLB history to have called balls and strikes for two perfectos.


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Tuesday’s moves in the Western Hockey League:
EVERETT SILVERTIPS—Released F Vladimir Dolnik, 18. Reassigned F Matt Grant, 18, to BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals. Reassigned D Darian Henry, 17, to AJHL’s Drumheller Dragaons.
KELOWNA ROCKETS—Released D Kevin Smith, 20.
KOOTENAY ICE—Traded F Brendan Hurley, 18, to Medicine Hat Tigers for a 2012 third-round bantam draft pick.
MEDICINE HAT TIGERS—Traded F Reid Petryk, 18, to Everett Silvertips for F Miles Koules, 17.
MOOSE JAW WARRIORS—Traded F Brett Lyon, 20, to Kelowna Rockets for a 2013 seventh-round bantam draft pick and a 2014 fifth-round pick.
PRINCE ALBERT RAIDERS—Assigned D Mathew Berry-Lamontagna, 18, to BCHL’s Westside Warriors.
PRINCE GEORGE COUGARS—Traded D Martin Marincin, 19, 2012 fourth- and seventh-round bantam draft picks and a 2013 fourth-round bantam draft pick to Regina Pats for D Ricard Blidstrand, 19, 2012 first- and second-round bantam draft picks and a 2013 fifth-round pick. Assigned D Josh Smith, 17, to undisclosed AJHL team. Added F John Odgers, 18, to roster.
SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS—Traded F Marcel Noebels, 19, to Portland for F Seth Swenson, 18, and first-round bantam draft picks in 2012 and 2013.
SPOKANE CHIEFS—Added F Dylan Walchuk, 19, to roster.
TRI-CITY AMERICANS—Acquired WHL rights to F Brett Connolly, 19, from Prince George Cougars for 2013 fifth-round bantam draft pick, conditional 2013 first-round draft pick and conditional 2014 second-round draft pick.
VANCOUVER GIANTS—Traded F James Henry, 20, to Moose Jaw Warriors for 2012 second-round bantam draft pick and 2014 third-round pick. Traded G Brendan Jensen, 18, to Portland for a 2013 sixth-round bantam draft pick. Traded D Eric Walker, 18, to Swift Current for a 2012 eighth-round bantam draft pick.
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DRAFT TRACKER (since Dec. 27):
Trades made: 22
Players: 35
Bantam draft picks: 29
Import draft picks: 0
(Does not include conditional draft picks)
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While everyone waited to see if the Regina Pats would trade away veteran C Jordan Weal, general manager Chad Lang performed an end-around.
Instead of selling, the Pats turned into buyers as the WHL deadline came and went on Tuesday.
Lang stunned a lot of people when he landed Slovakian D Martin Marincin, 19, early Tuesday in a deal with the Prince George Cougars that ended up totalling two players and six bantam draft picks.
Marincin, a second-round pick by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2010 NHL draft, was one of the big fish in the WHL lake as the trade deadline approached. In exchange for him, the Cougars got Swedish D Ricard Blidstrand, 19, first- and second-round picks in 2012 and a fifth-rounder in 2013.
Along with Marincin, Regina also got fourth- and seventh-round selections in 2012 and a fourth-rounder in 2013.
Marincin, a big, rangy defender who excels on the PP, has 17 points in 30 games this season. Last season, he had 56 points in 67 games. He is expected to be in the Pats’ lineup tonight against the host Prince Albert Raiders.
Blidstrand, a seventh-round selection by the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL’s 2010 draft, had 17 points in 70 games last season. This season, he has 13 points in 30 games.
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The Prince George Cougars sent the WHL rights to F Brett Connolly to the Tri-City Americans for one bantam draft pick and two conditional picks. The Cougars get a 2013 fifth-round selection from the Americans, along with a conditional first-round pick in 2013 and a conditional second-round selection in 2014. As I understand it, if Connolly reports and if the Americans were to win the Western Conference, that 2014 pick would become a first-rounder. . . . Connolly, the sixth overall pick in the NHL’s 2010 draft, has been with the Tampa Bay Lightning this season, except for four weeks with Canada’s national junior team. He has eight points with the Lightning. . . . Connolly played 8:33 last night in a 5-4 shootout loss to the visiting Vancouver Canucks. He had 13 shifts, all at even strength. . . . Hello, Steve, this is Bob Tory calling. . . .
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The Portland Winterhawks surprised more than a few people by surrendering two first-round bantam draft picks and F Seth Swenson, 18, to acquire F Marcel Noebels, 19, from the Seattle Thunderbirds.
The Winterhawks gave up first-round picks in the 2012 and 2013 bantam drafts.
“We just could not pass up the offer that was made,” Russ Farwell, the general manager of the Seattle Thunderbirds (of Kent), said in a news release. “We add a younger player and two high draft picks.”
Noebels, from Germany, has 24 points in 31 games this season. He also is a minus-22. He was the 10th overall selection by Seattle in the 2010 CHL import draft. The Philadelphia Flyers own his NHL rights, having taken him in the fourth round of the 2011 draft.
Swenson, from Parker, Colo., had seven points in 33 games with Portland. This is his third WHL season. He has 21 points and 64 penalty minutes in 132 games.
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The Portland Winterhawks also acquired G Brendan Jensen, 18, from the Vancouver Giants for a 2013 sixth-round bantam draft pick.
Jensen, from El Granada, Calif., is with the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints. With the Saints, Jensen is 12-0-3, 2.14, .917.
And, to make room for F Cam Reid, 20, the Winterhawks released F Dillon Wagner, 20. Wagner, who was acquired earlier this season from the Swift Current Broncos, had seven points and 25 penalty minutes in 17 games with Portland.
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A note about the deal between Portland and Edmonton on Monday in which the rights to F Cam Reid, 20, went from the Oil Kings to the Winterhawks.
The deal was announced as being for a 2012 eighth-round bantam draft pick. Actually, that is the price Portland paid just to talk with Reid. Under conditions of the deal, that pick has been upgraded to a 2013 second-round selection as Reid has left St. Cloud State and reported to Portland.
Any doubt about whether Reid would report was erased when I received a message from an interested observer:
“At MSP airport last night, there was a SCSU hockey bag with a bag tag for PDX sitting there . . . just saying!”
That would be Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) and St. Cloud State University (SCSU) and Portland (PDX).
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On Monday, the Moose Jaw Warriors acquired F Cam Braes, 20, who had been the captain of the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
On Tuesday, the Warriors went out and got F James Henry, 20, who was the Vancouver Giants’ captain.
In exchange for Henry, the Warriors gave up a second-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft and a third-round pick in the 2014 draft.
Henry, a ninth-round pick by Vancouver in the 2006 draft, was second on the Giants’ all-time list for games played (281). This season, he has 41 points, including 35 assists, in 41 games. He has 184 points in those 281 regular-season games.
Henry, who is from Winnipeg, and Moose Jaw D Dylan McIlrath are old friends from their childhood days in the Manitoba capital.
“He was a heck of a player when we were younger,” McIlrath told Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald. “It’s going to be fun to play with him.”
Immediately following the trade, the Giants named F Brendan Gallagher as team captain.
That deal also left the Warriors with four 20-year-olds, one over the maximum. The other two were F Brett Lyon and F Kenton Miller.
The Warriors promptly traded Lyon, who is having a career offensive season, to the Kelowna Rockets for a 2013 seventh-round bantam draft pick and a 2014 fifth-round pick.
Lyon has 28 points, including 11 goals, and 95 penalty minutes in 41 games. In 199 career games, Lyon has 54 points and 537 penalty minutes.
One of the WHL’s toughest players, his previous career highs were five goals and five assists. From Grand Forks, B.C., he also has played with the Kamloops Blazers and Vancouver.
That left the Rockets with four 20-year-olds – the others being F Cody Chikie, D Kevin Smith and G Adam Brown – so the dominoes continued to fall.
In order to get down to three, the Rockets released Smith.
Late last night it was reported that Smith had signed with the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies.
However, let’s not forget that Vancouver has room for a 20-year-old. Vancouver’s brass was meeting after the Giants’ 3-0 victory over the visiting Prince George Cougars last night. Should the Giants choose to add a 20-year-old, their options could include Smith or F Dillon Wagner, who was dropped by Portland.
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The Vancouver Giants sent D Eric Walker, 18, to the Swift Current Broncos for a 2012 eighth-round bantam draft pick.
Walker left Northern Michigan University to join the Giants on Nov. 19. With Vancouver, Walker had two assists and 18 penalty minutes in 16 games.
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The Medicine Hat Tigers dealt F Reid Petryk, 18, to the Everett Silvertips for the rights to F Miles Koules, 17. . . . Petryk, a fourth-round pick in the 2008 bantam draft, had 19 points and 56 penalty minutes in 43 games with the Tigers. . . . Should Koules report to the Tigers, Everett also will get a fourth-round bantam pick. . . . Koules is in the U.S. National Team Development Program. He plays for the U-18 team that is based in Ann Arbor, Mich., and has committed to attend the U of North Dakota. . . . Koules is the son of former WHLer Oren Koules (Portland, Great Falls, Medicine Hat, Spokane, Calgary, Brandon, 1979-82), who did a stint as owner of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning a couple of seasons ago. Among other things, Koules, if you weren’t aware, is a movie producer. Go ahead. Google him. . . . Miles Koules has 13 points in 32 games with the U-18 team. Two seasons ago, he played at Shattock-St. Marys. . . . Pre-trade deadline speculation had Koules ending up with the Portland Winterhawks, something Oren Koules had heard.
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The Kootenay Ice sent F Brendan Hurley, 18, to the Medicine Hat Tigers for a 2012 third-round bantam draft pick. Hurley, from Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., had six points and 29 penalty minutes in 26 games with the Ice. He was in his third season with the Ice, and was a member of last season’s Memorial Cup championship team.
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The Spokane Chiefs have added F Dylan Walchuk, 19, to their roster. Walchuk, who has been on the Chiefs’ list since December 2008, has played at Northern Michigan University and with the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers this season. A native of McBride, B.C., Walchuk played the last two seasons with the Vipers, who won one Canadian junior A championship and reached the final last year. This season, Walchuk had eight points in 19 games at NMU. He then left NMU and returned to the Vipers, putting up six points in six games with Vernon.
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ALSO ON THE MOVE:
The Everett Silvertips reassigned F Vladimir Dolnik, F Matt Grant and D Darian Henry. . . . Dolnik, 18, was selected in the 2011 CHL import draft and is returning to Slovakia. He had five helpers in 27 games with the Silvertips. . . . Grant, with no points in four games, is returning to the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals. Grant, 18, was acquired earlier in the season from Moose Jaw in a deal that had G Luke Siemens go to the Warriors. . . . Henry, 17, will join the AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons. He had one assist in 16 games with Everett. . . . The Prince George Cougars have assigned D Josh Smith, 17, to an undisclosed AJHL team. Smith In his second full season with the Cougars, had six points and 77 penalty minutes in 31 games. . . . The Cougars also revealed that they will be keeping F John Odgers, 18, for the remainder of the season. The son of former WHL/NHL F Jeff Odgers, John has one goal in four games. . . . The Prince Albert Raiders have assigned D Mathew Berry-Lamontagna, 18, to the BCHL’s Westside Warriors. He had one assist and 10 penalty minutes in 17 games with the Raiders.
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Here’s how things work these days, thanks to Twitter, as folks watch the WHL trade deadline approach:
To set the stage . . . the Moose Jaw Warriors had just traded F Brett Lyon, 20, to the Kelowna Rockets. That deal left the Rockets with four 20-year-olds, the others being G Adam Brown, D Kevin Smith and F Cody Chikie.
At the same time, there had been ample speculation that the Brandon Wheat Kings were in the market for a goaltender. Never mind that they already have three on their roster.
So . . .
Early Tuesday afternoon, Bruce Luebke, the radio voice of the  Wheat Kings, tweeted: “Take it for what it's worth, but Daniel Asham and Dylan Kuczek among those missing from #bdnwheatkings practice today.”
WEHP scout then responded with: “Could Asham/Kuczek be heading to Kelowna for Adam Brown? I feel things are winding down now.”
Cody Nickolet, the analyst on Saskatoon Blades’ broadcasts, followed that with: “It must be Brown on the way to Brandon now as the Rockets have too many 20's.”
Regan Bartel, the radio voice of the Rockets, ended the suspense with: “To make room for Lyon, @Kelowna_Rockets release 20 year old d-man Kevin Smith.”
But what of Asham and Kuczek?
A few minutes later, Luebke tweeted: “Apparently, Kuczek and Asham both missing practice today with illness. Don't know if it's upper body illness or lower body illness.”
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While we’re at it, let’s not forget about the toll that the lead-up to the trade deadline takes on the players. Here are a few tweets from Tuesday:
D Derrick Pouliot, Portland Winterhawks: “WHL trade deadline #nerveracking tension in the dressing room #fornow”
F James Henry, after being traded from Vancouver to Moose Jaw: “Want to say thank u to everyone in vancouver the fans players coaches management owners scouts n billets thank u for everything”
F Justin Kirsch of the Moose Jaw Warriors: “These are the most nerve racking days of a young mans career #tradedeadline”
F Andrew Johnson of the Warriors: “Sad day for the boys. Gonna miss ya @BLyon9 best of luck out there and keep in touch. Will always remember the self proclaimed 'big cheese' ”
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Former WHL G Jeff Bosch, now at Lakehead U in Thunder Bay: “for the 1st time in 5 yrs i dont have 2 worry about being dealt 2 a new team, different city #unilife #thanksciszler4nothavingtrades”
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And there was this tweet from Seattle Thunderbirds goaltender Calvin Pickard: “@bconnolly8 don't even think about it..........”
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And one from Portland F Sven Baertschi: “well i guess im not the only euro anymore....@MarcelNoebels !!!”
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If you enjoyed the extensive WHL trade deadline coverage, perhaps you would consider donating to the cause. If so, just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The NHL’s Anaheim Ducks have restructured the coach staff of their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. Trent Yawney, who had been a pro scout with the Ducks, was moved in as associate head coach, Mark Holick, a former Kootenay Ice head coach, was moved from head coach to associate coach. . . . Marty Wilford stays on as assistant coach. . . . Yawney, from Hudson Bay, Sask., had been an assistant coach with the San Jose Sharks from 2008-11. . . . Yawney was an assistant coach under Marc Crawford with the Canadian team at the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland, late last month. . . . The Crunch is 15-15-4, good for fourth place in the five team East Division.
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JUST NOTES: F Henrik Samuelsson practised with the Edmonton Oil Kings on Tuesday. He was skating alongside T.J. Foster and Kristians Pelss. . . . Samuelsson, the son of former NHL D Ulf Samuelsson, is eligible for the NHL’s 2012 draft. He had been playing in Sweden but, because he was born in Sweden, he isn’t classified as an import player. . . . F Stefan Matteau, the U.S. U-18 team’s leading scorer, has decided not to go to the U of North Dakota. He announced via Twitter that he will play for the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada next season. He is the son of former NHL F Stephane Matteau, who is an assistant coach with the Armada. “My decision is final,” the younger Matteau tweeted. . . . The OHL has suspended Kingston Frontenacs D Alex Gudbranson, 18, for 10 games for a hit to the head of Peterborough Petes F Matt Puempel. Gudbranson is the younger brother of Florida Panthers D Erik Gudbranson.
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ON THE ICE:
In Vancouver, G Jackson Whistle earned his first WHL victory and his first shutout as the Giants dumped the Prince George Cougars, 3-0. . . . Whistle, a 16-year-old from Kelowna, is 1-5-0, 3.42, .873. . . . It was the first time Vancouver has blanked an opponent this season. . . . The Cougars have been shut out a WHL-leading seven times. . . . The Cougars have been shut out in three of their last four games, during which time they have scored one goal. . . . F Brendan Gallagher had a goal, his 28th, and an assist for the Giants. . . . F Dalton Sward got the game’s first goal. It was his 10th, equalling his total from last season. He also ended a 13-game drought by scoring on his 18th birthday. . . . The Giants won the season series, 7-1. . . . The Cougars have lost five in a row.