Blades introduce their man; Royals haven't spoken with Richardson

D T.J. Fast (Tri-City, 2006-08) has signed a one-year contract with Heilbronner Falken (Germany, DEL2). Last season, with Eispiraten Crimmitschau (Germany, DEL2), he had 34 points, including nine goals, in 49 games. In the relegation round, he added 19 points, eight of them goals, in 17 games. . . .
F Robin Figren (Calgary, Edmonton, 2006-08) has signed a two-year extension with Frölunda Gothenburg (Sweden, SEL). Last season, he had 23 points, including nine goals, in 43 games.
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Bob Woods, the Saskatoon Blades' new
GM/head coach, addresses the media
at a Monday news conference.
(Photo: Saskatoon Blades)

The Saskatoon Blades, as expected, introduced Bob Woods as their new general manager and head coach on Monday.
Woods, who had spent the last two-plus seasons as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, replaces Lorne Molleken and David Struch with the Blades. Molleken, the team’s long-time GM/head coach, was released by the team’s new owners, Mike and Colin Priestner, after last season. Struch, a former Blades player and long-time assistant coach under Molleken, got the heave-ho after one season as head coach.
Woods got a five-year contract from the Blades.
Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix attended the news conference and, at one point, tweeted that under the terms of the contract Woods “is open to pursue NHL jobs. Terms not disclosed, but he'll one of the WHL's highest-paid people.”
Nugent-Bowman’s story is right here.
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With Bob Woods having signed on as the head coach of the Saskatoon Blades, only two of the WHL’s 22 teams are without head coaches.
The Calgary Hitmen, who fired Mike Williamson following the season, and the Vancouver Giants, who allowed Don Hay out of the final year of his contract so that he could take over the coaching duties with his hometown Kamloops Blazers, both are in the market.
Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal has reported that the Hitmen are “very interested” in Edmonton Oil Kings assistant coach Steve Hamilton.
It’s unlikely that Hamilton will make a move until the immediate future of Oil Kings head coach Derek Laxdal is confirmed one way or the other. There have been hints that perhaps the parent Oilers might add him to their staff, perhaps as an associate coach under head coach Dallas Eakins. Should that happen, Hamilton would be in line to be the Oil Kings’ head coach.
However, should the Oilers leave Laxdal in place as the Oil Kings’ head coach, perhaps Hamilton would consider a move to another WHL team as its head coach.
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1. F Evan Richardson, a sophomore forward at Boston College, won’t be returning to the Eagles. Richardson, 20, had two goals in four games last season as freshman. From Nanaimo, B.C., Richardson was selected 15th overall by the Swift Current Broncos in the 2009 WHL bantam draft. . . . On Sept. 5, 2012, the Broncos dealt his rights to the Victoria Royals for 1995-born F Justin Spagrud and a conditional second-round bantam draft pick. . . . As of late Monday night, Royals general manager Cam Hope hadn’t spoken with Richardson, who is believed to be thinking about playing junior A or transferring to another school. . . . Of course, he would be welcome to join the Royals and, as Hope told me, “fight for an overage spot with us . . . he’s a skilled player.” . . . The Royals have five 20-year-olds on their roster in D Travis Brown, F Austin Carroll, F Steven Hodges, F Brandon Magee and G Patrik Polivka. However, Hodges has signed with the NHL’s Florida Panthers, while Magee and Polivka have signed with teams in Europe.

2. The Medicine Hat Tigers have signed F James Hamblin, the 17th overall selection in the 2014 WHL bantam draft. Hamblin, from Edmonton, spent the past two seasons with the bantam AAA Edmonton-South Side Athletic Club Lions. Last season, he had 62 points, including 32 goals, in 31 games. . . . Hamblin was one of 21 prospects who attended the Tigers’ weekend orientation camp.

3. The Prince Albert Raiders have traded F Chance Braid, who turns 20 in September, and F Lance Yaremchuk, 18, to the Prince George Cougars for F Jordan Tkatch, 19, and a sixth-round selection in the 2016 bantam draft. . . . Braid, from Chauvin, Alta., has 57 points in 201 regular-season games, all with Prince Albert. . . . Yaremchuk had a goal and two assists in 15 games with the Raiders last season. He also had 31 points, 15 of them goals, in 20 games with the midget AAA Prince Albert Mintos, who went on to win the Telus Cup. Yaremchuk was a sixth-round selection by the Raiders in the 2011 bantam draft. . . .  Tkatch, a second-round pick by the Cougars in the 2010 bantam draft, put up 82 points, 33 of them goals, in 196 regular-season games. He is from Prud’Homme, which is located 110 km south of Prince Albert, where he played for the midget AAA Mintos. Last season, he had 46 points, including 16 goals, in 72 games.

4. The deal between Prince Albert and Prince George leaves the Raiders with six potential 20-year-olds on their roster -- F Calder Brooks, F Dakota Conroy, F Shane Danyluk, F Jayden Hart, D Sawyer Lange and F Carson Perreaux. . . . In Prince George, Braid joins G Adam Beukeboom, F Troy Bourke, F Jari Erricson, F Zach Pochiro, F Brett Roulston, D Joshua Smith and D Wil Tomchuk as potential 20-year-olds on the Cougars’ roster. Bourke has signed an NHL deal with the Colorado Avalanche so isn’t likely to return.

5. When a team loses, it isn’t often that fans give the other team credit. When that happens in Game 7 of a championship series, it rarely happens. More often, the officials get the blame, it seems. So I must say I was quite pleased to get the following via email from a Portland Winterhawks’ fan:
“Has there ever been a more resilient and tough-minded WHL team than this year's Oil Kings - They took multiple ‘George Foreman in his prime haymakers’ from the Hawks . . . Storm . . . and Val-d'Or:
- Fall behind the Hawks 2-0 in games / getting shaky goaltending from (Tristan) Jarry;
- Fall behind the Hawks 2-0 three minutes into Game 3;
- Blow two three-goal leads at HOME ... lose Game 6 in epic failure fashion;
- Get beaten soundly by Guelph in the round-robin;
- Multiple OT's against Val-d’Or;
- Fall behind 1-0 . . . a minute into the championship game.
Unbelievable guts and courage shown by Edmonton.”

6. F Sam Bennett of the Kingston Frontenacs is NHL Central Scouting’s top-ranked North American skater going into this month’s draft. But at the combine last weekend in Mississauga, Ont., Bennett wasn’t able to do even one pull-up. . . . Yes, that raised some eyebrows. But, as Neate Sager of Yahoo! Canada Sports writes right here: Who cares? . . . It all reminds me of an anecdote involving F Bill Derlago, one of the great scorers in WHL history, who was selected by the Vancouver Canucks with the fourth overall pick of the NHL’s 1978 draft. When players showed up for training camp, the Canucks’ braintrust put them through some dryland stuff that included sprints. Jake Milford, who had a long history with the Wheat Kings, was the Canucks’ general manager at the time. He called Brandon head coach Dunc McCallum and admitted that he was concerned because Derlago didn’t run very well. McCallum asked Milford: “Are you putting together a track team or a hockey team?”

7. D Kyle Sheen (Kootenay, Kamloops, 1999-2004) will be bringing home at least one

souvenir from the 2014 IIHF Inline Hockey World Championship that opened Sunday in Pardubice, Czech Republic. . . . Sheen’s first goal in an IIHF competition gave Canada a 1-0 lead less than a minute into Monday’s game against Finland. However, the Finns came back for a 5-3 victory. . . . Canada, bronze medalists a year ago, had opened with a 3-1 victory over Germany on Saturday. . . . Canada (1-1) will meet Sweden on Tuesday. . . . Interestingly, F Ales Hemsky of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators has joined the Czech team. His father, Petr, is the head coach of the Czech side.


8. Hockey Canada has revealed that registration for the 2013-14 season was down 5,600 from the previous season. The number of boys played hockey in Canada decreased for a third straight season. . . . Meanwhile, the number of new players involved in soccer went up by 20,000. . . . Alan Maki of The Globe and Mail delves into why that is happening right here.

9. D Andrew Alberts’ hockey career may be over, but he’s not even thinking about that. All he wants right now is to experience one day without a headache. Iain MacIntyre of the Vancouver Sun has the story right here on what he calls “the NHL’s shame.”

10. Retired NFL star Dan Marino is part of a lawsuit filed against the NFL on May 28 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Yes, it has to do with concussions. As Massachusetts-based attorney Michael McCann, who writes on legal matters for Sports Illustrated, notes right here, these lawsuits aren’t going away any time soon.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Brandon West has been promoted to head coach of the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks. He had been the associate coach under GM/head coach Troy Mick. . . . Mick now is the franchise’s governor, president and general manager. According to the BCHL constitution, a team’s head coach isn’t allowed to serve as governor. . . . Mick and West, who has been with Salmon Arm for three seasons, have worked together through the past two seasons.
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Tom Keca won’t be back as the assistant GM/assistant coach with the AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons. Curtis Hunt, the team’s new GM and head coach, made that revelation on Monday. Keca had been with the Oil Barons for nine seasons. . . . Hunt also said that Ryan Allen, the club’s other assistant coach, will be back. . . . Robert Murray of Fort McMurray Today has more right here.
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From the Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants): “Be a part of our 2014/15 Dance Team! Auditions will take place on June 14 at the Coliseum. http://fb.me/2V4lENzyY”
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From Giants F Joel Hamilton (@Jhamilton181): “@WHLGiants I'm out of town until about mid august... Can I audition then? #jk”
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The Giants response: “We’ll hold a spot for you!”

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Sergei Klimentyev (Medicine Hat, 1993-95) announced his retirement in an interview session with local journalists. He had one goal and three assists in 25 games with Berkut Kyiv (Ukraine, PHL) this season. In the interview, Klimentyev noted that the Berkut players have not been paid their salaries for the last four months. . . .

F Robin Figren (Calgary, Edmonton, 2006-08) signed a two-year contract with Frölunda Gothenburg (Sweden, Elitserien). Figren had nine goals and four assists in 55 games with Linköping (Sweden, Elitserien) this season but stepped up the pace with four goals and three assists in 10 playoff games. Linköping announced earlier this week that they would not offer a contract for next season to Figren. . . .

Adler Mannheim (Germany, DEL) announced they would not offer contracts for next season to five players, including F Yannic Seidenberg (Medicine Hat, 2003-04). He had seven goals and 18 assists in 50 games with Adler this season.
———

To the person who sent a note about the troll: “I have had the exact same thought, and on more than one occasion.”
———
This has nothing to do with hockey, but is an amazing story.
Let’s say that you have been in something of a coma for five years. When you wake up, what are your first words? In the case of Evie Branan, it was: “I want to go to a Bob Seger concert.” . . . Branan, now 79, is going to see that concert next month. . . . Sarah Schuch of the Flint Journal has that story right here.
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Apologies to F Victor Rask of the Calgary Hitmen. I have been writing that F JC Lipon of the Kamloops Blazes is the only WHL player with at least a point in each of his team’s playoff games this spring. (It is spring, isn’t it?) . . . It turns out that Rask, a 19-year-old from Sweden, has at least a point in each of the Calgary’s 10 games. Rask has put up 13 points, four of them goals, in 10 games. . . .
The Kelowna Rockets announced yesterday that Jeff Thorburn, their veteran athletic therapist, is leaving the organization. He is moving over to UBC-Okanagan, which also in Kelowna. . . .
D Damon Severson of the Kelowna Rockets will finish up his season with the Albany River Rats, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils. Severson was a second-round selection by the Devils in the NHL’s 2012 draft.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Former NHLer Bob Corkum has been named the interim head coach of the U of Maine Black Bears. He takes over, at least for now, from Tim Whitehead, who was fired this week. . . . Corkum has been the Black Bears’ associate head coach since 2008. . . .

John Olver, a veteran of the coaching game, has been named the general manager of the ECHL’s Bakersfield Condors. . . . For the last three seasons, Olver, 54, has worked as the GM/head coach of the Idaho Jr. Steelheads, a junior A team that plays in the Western States Hockey League. . . . Olver, 54, will have to hire a head coach to replace Matt O’Dette, who won’t be back. . . . Olver spent one season (1988-89) as head coach of the Tri-City Americans. They went 33-34-5 in what was their first season playing out of Kennewick, Wash.
———

When the WHL’s conference finals begin next week, Shaw TV will be showing the series between the Edmonton Oil Kings and Calgary Hitmen. That series begins with games in Edmonton on Thursday and Friday. . . . The other final features the Portland Winterhawks and Kamloops Blazers. The first two games are in Portland on Friday and Saturday, April 20.
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The WHL’s playoff situation:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
THIRD ROUND
Edmonton (1) vs. Calgary (3)
Series opens Thursday in Edmonton.
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WESTERN CONFERENCE
THIRD ROUND
Portland (1) vs. Kamloops (3)
Series opens Friday in Portland.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
No games scheduled.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (16):
None

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (5):
None


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Dustin Friesen (Swift Current, 2000-04) signed a one-year contract extension with Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven (Germany, 2.Bundesliga). He had 12 goals and 20 assists in 47 games for the Pinguins this season. . . .

Linköping (Sweden, Elitserien) announced that it won’t offer contracts for next season to F Robin Figren (Calgary, Edmonton, 2006-08) and F Lee Goren (Saskatoon, 1995-96). Figren had nine goals and four assists in 55 games and Goren had two goals and four assists in 24 games for Linköping this season. Goren started the season with Pelicans Lahti (Finland, SM-Liiga), getting four goals and eight assists in 13 games before joining Linköping.
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There is a move afoot to build a downtown arena in Fort McMurray, Alta.
MyMcMurray.com has listed the names “of the four companies that have been shortlisted to build Fort McMurray’s proposed downtown arena.”
According to MyMcMurray.com, “One of those companies, Global Entertainment Corporation and Western Asset Management made a joint submission — it specifically says it could immediately negotiate the establishment of a WHL team in Fort McMurray.”
Global Entertainment has an operating subsidiary in International Coliseums Company (ICC). Its president is Rick Kozuback, a former WHL coach (Tri-City Americans, 1989-91).
According to its website, ICC “develops first class multi-purpose event centers for mid-sized cities.”
Also from ICC’s website: “Since 2003, ICC has developed 10 Event Centers; no other entity has done more than 1 in that time frame.”
According to MyMcMurray.com, Global has said the window to acquire an existing WHL franchise “will close soon if there are delays in starting the project.”
“What we do know is that there is an immediate opportunity to negotiate for a WHL franchise,” reads part of its submission, according to MyMcMurray.com.
All of this is most interesting indeed, if only because at least one WHL owner, within the last few years, looked into moving his franchise to Fort McMurray.
This owner went so far as to begin putting together a private partnership — one that included at least two prominent hockey people — that would have financed the building of an arena.
This owner has told me that the WHL office quickly informed him that the league, citing geographic reasons, wasn’t the least bit interested in having a franchise in Fort McMurray.
Fort McMurray is a 440-kilometre (274-mile) drive from Edmonton.
UPDATE: In the wee hours of this morning, Tyler King, the radio voice of the AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons, tweeted: “A defining moment in Fort McMurray’s history as (city) council approves expropriation for a downtown arena.”
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“Three days have been set aside in June to deal with six charges against Tom Gaglardi and his father, Robert, and one charge against the Gaglardi family business, Northland Properties Corporation,” writes Dale Bass of Kamloops This Week. "The charges stem from an incident last year on lakefront property Tom Gaglardi owns in Savona, where the Crown alleges the pair and their company contravened federal legislation by 'first clearing and then filling land, actions that resulted in the harmful alternation, disruption or destruction of fish habitat, the foreshore of Kamloops Lake.' "
Tom Gaglardi owns the NHL’s Dallas Stars and is the majority owner of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers.
That story is right here.
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F Hunter Shinkaruk of the Medicine Hat Tigers “is officially at his wits end about the officials,” writes Sean Rooney of the Medicine Hat News. . . . That story is right here. . . .
According to a source, Calgary Hitmen D Kenton Helgesen has undergone surgery to repair a broken finger that was injured in the first-round series against the Swift Current Broncos. He apparently won’t play again this season unless the Hitmen reach the Memorial Cup.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Tim Whitehead no longer is the head coach of the U of Maine Black Bears. The school announced Tuesday that Whitehead had been fired after 12 years as head coach. He had one year left on his contract, at $190,000. Maine was 11-19-8 overall this season, including 7-12-8 in Hockey East. The Black Bears were swept from a best-of-three quarterfinal by UMass Lowell. . . . Whitehead took over the Black Bears in 2001 after the death of Shawn Walsh. . . . Larry Mahoney of the Bangor Daily News has more right here.
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The WHL’s playoff situation:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
SECOND ROUND
Edmonton (1) vs. Medicine Hat (7)
(Edmonton leads, 3-0; Game 4, tonight, in Medicine Hat)
Calgary (3) vs. Red Deer (4)
(Calgary leads, 3-1; Game 5, Thursday, in Calgary)
———
WESTERN CONFERENCE
SECOND ROUND
Portland (1) vs. Spokane (4)
(Portland leads 3-0; Game 4, tonight, in Spokane)
Kelowna (2) vs. Kamloops (3)
(Kamloops leads 3-0; Game 4, tonight, in Kamloops; all games on Shaw TV)
———
TUESDAY’S GAMES:
In Red Deer, F Cody Sylvester scored at 5:10 of OT to give the Calgary Hitmen a 3-2 victory over the Rebels. . . . Sylvester, Calgary’s captain, has four goals in these playoffs. . . . “We call him Captain Clutch in the dressing room,” Calgary G Chris Driedger told reporters, “and he definitely lived up to his name.” . . . Calgary F Jake Virtanen scored the game’s first goal and drew an assist on the winner. . . . The Hitmen have scored first in eight of their nine playoff games. . . . F Brooks Macek gave Calgary a 2-0 lead at 13:00 of the first. . . . Red Deer tied it on second-period PP goals by F Dominik Volek and F Conner Bleackley. . . . This was the fourth straight road game in which Calgary went to OT. . . . Driedger stopped 37 shots, nine more than Red Deer’s Patrik Bartosak. . . . Red Deer F Matt Bellerive has completed his two-game suspension for a kneeing major in Game 2. . . .

In Medicine Hat, F Henrik Samuelsson gave the Edmonton Oil Kings an early 2-0 lead and they went on to beat the Tigers, 9-2. . . . Samuelsson scored at 1:39 and 12:25 of the first, the latter on the PP. . . . D Martin Gernat added another PP goal, just 2:10 later, and Edmonton was never caught. . . . F Michael St. Croix and Gernat had two goals each. . . . D Cody Corbett added a goal and two assists for the Oil Kings, who have outscored their opponents 40-7 in eight games. . . . Edmonton D David Musil who turned 20 on Tuesday, had two assists and was plus-4. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 25 shots. In these playoffs, he is 7-1, 0.85, .966. He has three shutouts in eight games. . . . Edmonton was 3-for-7 on the PP. . . . Last season, the Tigers swept the Saskatoon Blades from the first round and then were swept by the Moose Jaw Warriors. This season, the Tigers swept the Blades again, and now are down 0-3 to the Oil Kings. . . .

In Kamloops, F JC Lipon scored at 3:43 of OT to give the Blazers a 5-4 victory over the Kelowna Rockets. . . . The teams combined for five goals in the first period and three in the second before playing a scoreless third. . . . Lipon, who leads all scorers with 19 points, is the only WHL player with at least a point in each of his team’s playoff games. . . . F Dylan Willick scored twice and added an assist for Kamloops. . . . Blazers F Brendan Ranford had a goal and an assist, giving him six points in the three games of this series. . . . F JT Barnett, who hadn’t played since Game 1 of the first round, had two goals for Kelowna. . . . Rockets F Nick Merkley, 15, had two assists in a strong outing. . . . Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave stopped 33 shots. . . . Blazers F Kale Kessy scored his ninth goal of these playoffs. . . . Kelowna F Ryan Olsen, a 32-goal man in the regular season, got his first goal in 10 playoff games. . . . The Blazers hadn’t won an OT game at home since April 6, 1996 when Jarome Iginla scored on the PP at 13:23 for a 4-3 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . . Between then and now, the Blazers had lost seven straight OT decisions on home ice. . . . Kelowna F Tyson Baillie sat out Game 2 of a two-game suspension. The Rockets’ leading playoff scorer is eligible to return for Game 4 tonight. . . .He was suspended for a hit on Kamloops F Colin Smith in Game 1. Smith (suspected concussion) and F Tim Bozon (hand) are both missing from the Blazers’ lineup. . . .

In Spokane, G Mac Carruth stopped 25 shots as the Portland Winterhawks beat the Chiefs, 3-1. . . . Carruth has a WHL-record 40 playoff victories. . . . Portland F Ty Rattie scored his WHL-leading 10th goal at 19:13 of the first. . . . F Nic Petan made it 2-0 at 8:01 of the second. . . . Spokane F Blake Gal scored at 16:24 of the second, on a PP. . . . Portland F Taylor Leier iced it with an empty-netter at 19:45 of the third. . . . Spokane G Eric Williams stopped 33 shots. . . . Paul Buker of The Oregonian was there and his story is right here.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (15):
None
CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (5):
None
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From Regan Bartel (@Reganrant), the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets: “Ok, now I know where I sit in the pecking order. @DanRussellCKNW gets premium parking at ISC. I’m asked to park three blocks away. #bigdog”


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Wednesday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
Kevin Saurette (Regina, 1997-99) signed a one-year contract with Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven (Germany 2.Bundesliga). He had 16 goals and 33 assists in 48 games for Eispiraten Crimmitschau (Germany Oberliga) this season. . . .
F Robin Figren (Calgary, Edmonton, 2006-08) signed a two-year contract with Linköping (Sweden Elitserien). He had 14 goals and 17 assists in 76 games for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL) this season. Linköping GM Johan Hemlin: "It's great that Robin chose Linköping. He is an exciting forward who will be good for us."
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JUST NOTES: F Tyler Pitlick of the Medicine Hat Tigers, who hasn’t skated in six weeks, is due to return to the ice today. He has been out with a broken ankle. . . . The QMJHL has fined Patrick Roy, the GM and head coach of the Quebec Remparts, for “inappropriate comments.” This comes after Martin Mondou, the Shawinigan Cataractes’ GM, complained about security at the rink in Quebec City after fans dumped beer and assorted other stuff on his players. Roy responded by saying that Mondou “has a brain the size of a pea.” . . .
D Alex Petrovic signed a three-year deal with the NHL’s Florida Panthers last week. Capgeek.com reports that his AHL salary will be US$67,500 per season, with NHL salaries of $760,000, $815,000 and $900,000. The signing bonus was $270,000, payable over three years. . . . Petrovic was the 36th overall pick in the 2010 NHL draft. . . . F Tyler Johnson of the Spokane Chiefs has been suspended by the WHL for the first game of the Western Conference final. That’s for a kneeing major he incurred in Game 6 of the conference semfinal against the Tri-City Americans on Tuesday. The Chiefs won that game 5-4 in OT. Johnson was ejected at 18:31 of the first period for a hit on Tri-City F Brendan Shinnimin, who returned to the bench but didn’t play again. The Chiefs open the conference final in Portland against the Winterhawks on Friday. Johnson, the WHL’s second-leading scorer in the regular season, has nine points in nine playoff games this spring. He missed the last two games of the Chiefs’ first-round 4-1 series victory over the Chilliwack Bruins with a concussion. . .
Kevin Dickie, who did a stint as head coach of the Saskatoon Blades (2000-03), is the new athletic director at Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S. He had been the hockey coach at Acadia before joining the Blades. Most recently, Dickie was the athletic director at the U of New Brunswick in Fredericton. . . . Kris Mallette (Kelowna, Moose Jaw, 1996-2000) is the new head coach of the junior B North Okanagan Knights, who play in the Kootenay International junior league out of Armstrong, B.C. Mallette, 32, was an assistant coach and replaces Sylvan Leone. Mallette is a native of Kelowna. . . . Nathan Lieuwen of the Kootenay Ice is the CHL’s goaltender of the week. He was 2-0 with a 1.00 GAA and a .965 save percentage last week.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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