Sale of Ice will mark end of an era . . . Source: Robison wants it done by month's end

The Kootenay Ice dropped a 4-1 decision to the host Calgary Hitmen on Saturday night in a game that may have marked the end of an era.

If, as is being speculated, the Ice franchise is about to be sold that game may have been the last one played by a team that could boast of having the Chynoweth name on its masthead.

Should the sale occur, that game also will have signalled the end of the Chynoweth era in the WHL,

Jeff Chynoweth (left) and his father, Ed.
(Photo: chl.ca)

something that stretches back to 1970.

That is something that shouldn’t be ignored, because there hasn’t been a bigger name in WHL history and, indeed, in the history of junior hockey.

It all began with Ed Chynoweth, a native of Dodsland, Sask., who left a Saskatoon hotel and joined the Blades as assistant general manager in 1970.

By the 1972-73 season, Chynoweth was in the WHL office — it was the WCHL then — as assistant to the executive secretary, which is the title that Thomas K. Fisher carried.

Chynoweth was named the league’s president at its annual meeting in June 1973, an position in which he would continue through 1978-79. He spent 1979-80 as a part-owner and the general manager of the Calgary Wranglers. However, he returned to the WHL office after that season and ruled the roost through 1995-96.

At that point, he was granted an expansion franchise, the Edmonton Ice, that played two seasons in the Alberta capital before moving to Cranbrook, B.C., and morphing into the Kootenay Ice.

He was the Ice’s president and governor, and also served as the chairman of the WHL’s board of governors (1996-98, 2004-08). He was the chairman of the board when he died, at 66, on April 22, 2008.

Under Chynoweth, the Ice won the 2002 Memorial Cup, a trophy he had presented to his son, Dean, in

Ed Chynoweth got to present his son, Dean,
with the Memorial Cup.(Photo: Hockey Hall of Fame)

1988, when Dean, a rugged defenceman, was the captain of the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Dean played three seasons (1985-88) with the Tigers and later would return to the WHL for four seasons (2000-04) has head coach of the Seattle Thunderbirds. He would on from there and work for five seasons (2004-09) as general manager and head coach of the Swift Current Broncos.

Jeff is the Ice’s governor, president and general manager. He has been part of the WHL since 1986 and also has worked with the Spokane Chiefs (1986-87), Medicine Hat Tigers (1987-88), Brandon Wheat Kings (1988-89), Lethbridge Hurricanes (1989-91) and Red Deer Rebels (1991-95), before moving into the Ice’s front office in October 1995.

And, of course, there is Linda, the matriarch, who was married to Ed for 45 years. She has been there for all of it, from the day Ed joined the Blades’ organization through what will have been the family’s final days with the Ice. You can bet she has been a sounding board for more WHL-related decisions than any person in junior hockey history.

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Thank you to our corporate partners, billets, parents and FANS for your support of Kootenay ICE hockey this season!

— Kootenay ICE (@WHLKootenayICE) March 19, 2017

A source familiar with the Kootenay Ice situation has told Taking Note that Ron Robison, the WHL

commissioner, “is hoping to get things done with the Cranbrook group before the end of (March).”

That group, which includes former Ice F Colin Sinclair, made an offer to purchase the Ice in February. However, the group was informed that its offer wouldn’t be considered pending a March 11 referendum in Nanaimo, a Vancouver Island city in which the WHL badly wants to have a franchise. However, that referendum was soundly defeated, meaning the City isn’t able to borrow $80 million to build an events centre that was to include an arena.

Our source indicated that the Cranbrook group “pulled its previous offer earlier in the week after Nanaimo voters rejected building a new arena complex. That offer price-matched the Nanaimo offer, with the only difference being there would be no offer of a (general manager’s) job to the current owner/GM.”

That, of course, is in reference to Jeff Chynoweth, the Ice’s governor, president and general manager.

The source added that, with the referendum in the rearview mirror, the Cranbrook group now is “prepared to continue but at a different price point.”

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The OHL’s Erie Otters are the first team in Canadian Hockey League history to win at least 50 games in four consecutive seasons. On Saturday, the Otters beat the visiting Guelph Storm, 5-2, improving their record to 50-15-3. Starting in 2013-14, the Otters won 52, 50 52 and 50 regular-season games. . . . The Otters’ head coach in each of those seasons has been Kris Knoblauch, a native of Imperial, Sask., who played in the WHL with the Red Deer Rebels, Edmonton Ice, Kootenay Ice and Lethbridge Hurricanes (1995-99). . . . He also has coached with the Prince Albert Raiders (2006-07) and Kootenay (2007-12). He was the Ice’s head coach for two seasons (2010-12). . . . The WHL’s Kelowna Rockets (2012-15), Edmonton Oil Kings (2011-14) and Kamloops Blazers (1989-92), and the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs (2009-12) all had three-season runs. . . . The Otters have captured their third straight Midwest Division title with the victory and have clinched the Hamilton Spectator Trophy as the OHL’s regular-season champions for a second consecutive season.

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WHL commish talking to Nanaimo? . . . Ex-WHLers move to BCHL . . . Silvertips win 10th game

News 1130 Sports out of Vancouver tweeted on Wednesday morning:

“Been told WHL commissioner Ron Robison was in Nanaimo on Monday to talk with city officials about a new arena.”

The WHL in Nanaimo, home of the BCHL’s Clippers?

Of course, the WHL would love to have a franchise in Nanaimo, something that would allow teams from the mainland to visit Vancouver Island and play games against more than one team. However, there simply isn't an arena on the island, other than the one that is home to the Victoria Royals, that meets the league’s standards.

Furthermore, the City of Nanaimo has flat-out refused to get involved in the construction process.

I have been told by someone who is involved with a group that apparently kicked the tires on the Kootenay Ice that there “never” will be an arena in Nanaimo that would be capable of housing a WHL team.

News 1130 Sports also tweeted:

“Nanaimo and Chilliwack are 2 cities the WHL is keeping an eye on for the future.”

Of course, the WHL used to be in Chilliwack — you may remember the Bruins and the messy situation that led to them becoming the Royals. Has enough water gone under the bridge that the good hockey fans of Chilliwack would forgive and forget?

What you really have to wonder, though, is: Why would anyone be interested in getting involved in the ownership of a WHL franchise at this point in time?

After all, the CHL, its three leagues (OHL, QMJHL and WHL) and 60 teams are all but pleading poverty as a proposed class-action lawsuit that asks that players — and, retroactively, former players — be paid minimum wage makes its way through the courts.

This has gotten some headlines in B.C. of late after the Vancouver Sun reported that the governing Liberals made a quiet move in February to exempt the province’s six WHL teams from minimum-wage laws.

Five of the six franchise owners apparently have made donations to the B.C. Liberals, who were lobbied by the WHL for the change. (This all brings back memories of an incident in February 2011 when the names of 20 players on the Kamloops Blazers roster were found on a B.C. Liberal membership list during a leadership race. Tom Gaglardi, the Blazers majority owner, was a supporter of leadership candidate Kevin Falcon. The names were removed but no one ever explained how the names came to be on the list.)

“Recent reports have grossly overstated WHL club revenues and franchise values,” Robison wrote in a statement that appeared in some newspapers this week. “The majority of WHL Clubs either break even or lose money on an annual basis and we commend our WHL Clubs for their commitment to preserving the benefits provided to our players despite the challenges they face. Any change to the status of our players as amateur athletes would result in our clubs having to adjust the benefits currently offered to players.

“For instance, if our WHL Clubs were required to provide minimum wage in addition to the benefits the players currently receive, the majority of our teams would not be in a position to continue operating.”

B.C. joined Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and Washington state in exempting WHL teams from minimum-wage legislation. All four jurisdictions did it without requesting that WHL teams open their books.

The province of Quebec, home to 13 CHL teams, is said to be next in line.

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A couple of WHLers who lost out in the 20-year-old game have joined BCHL teams. . . . F Duncan Campbell, who was waived by his hometown Brandon Wheat Kings, now is with the Penticton Vees, while G Trevor Martin, who was dropped by the Red Deer Rebels, has joined the defending-champion West Kelowna Warriors. . . . Campbell was pointless in six games with Brandon this season, after putting up 10 goals and 12 assists in 72 games last season. . . . Martin, from Saskatoon, was 18-8-2, 2.63, .911 in 38 games with the Rebels last season. This season, he got into three games, going 0-1-1, 4.14, .888.

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The Kootenay Ice has dropped G Declan Hobbs from its roster. Hobbs, 18, is from Saskatoon and was a third-round pick by the Ice in the 2013 WHL bantam draft. This season, he was 0-3-0, 7.16, .800 in 142 minutes over three appearances. Last season, in 24 appearances, he was 2-14-3, 4.66, .873. He is the younger brother of Regina Pats D Connor Hobbs. . . . The move leaves the Ice with two goaltenders — veteran Payton Lee, 20, who is playing his final junior season in his hometown, and freshman Jakob Walter, 17, from Langley, B.C. He was a second-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft.

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The TV show Gunsmoke had a long run that ended in 1975. Of course, it’s still available in reruns and, as it turns out, it has more than a few viewers. How many? “More than four decades later,” writes Neil Best of Newsday, “the fabled western drama has not lost its swagger, regularly winning ratings shootouts with much of what modern media has to offer in reruns at 3 p.m. on TV Land.” . . . Best’s complete story is right here and, yes, it’s most interesting. I guarantee that you will be shocked to find out how many people still tune in Gunsmoke.

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JUST NOTES:

F Glenn Gawdin, 19, was named captain of the Swift Current Broncos on Thursday. Gawdin, from Richmond, B.C., is in his fourth season with the Broncos. . . . 

F Mathew Barzal didn’t play for the New York Islanders on Thursday in a 4-2 loss to the host Pittsburgh Penguins. Barzal, 19, is pointless while playing in two of the Islanders’ first eight games. He is eligible to be returned to the Seattle Thunderbirds, a move some observers feel is imminent.

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THURSDAY’S GAME:

At Everett, F Eetu Tuulola scored twice to help Silvertips to a 4-2 victory over the Tri-City Americans. . . .

EETU TUULOLA

Tuulola, a Finnish freshman in his second game since suffering a shoulder injury on Oct. 2, has three goals. He broke a 1-1 tie at 7:21 of the second period and upped the lead to 4-1 at 3:46 of the third. . . . F Spencer Garth had given Everett a 1-0 lead, with his first goal, at 2:32 of the opening period. . . . Tri-City F Morgan Geekie’s fifth goal tied it at 10:53. . . . F Riley Sutter’s seventh goal put the home side in front 3-1 at 15:01 of the second period. . . . Tri-City F Nolan Yaremko added a PP goal, his second goal this season, at 15:06 of the third. . . . F Kyle Olson had two assists for the Americans. . . . G Carter Hart blocked 21 shots to earn the victory over Beck Warm, who made 24 saves. . . . The Americans were 1-3 on the PP; the Silvertips were 0-1. . . . Everett (10-2-2) has points in three straight (2-0-1). . . . The Americans (8-6-1) had been 2-0-1 in their previous three games. They wrapped up a stretch of six straight road games (3-2-1). . . . F Sasha Mutala, the sixth-overall pick in the 2016 bantam draft, made his debut with the Americans. From Vancouver, he plays for the major midget Greater Vancouver Canadians. . . . Announced attendance: 2,988.

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FRIDAY’S GAMES (all times local):

Calgary at Edmonton, 7 p.m.

Vancouver at Kamloops, 7 p.m.

Brandon vs. Kootenay, at Cranbrook, B.C.

Prince George at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Saskatoon at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

Spokane at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Medicine Hat at Red Deer, 7 p.m.

Seattle at Swift Current, 7 p.m.
Victoria vs. Tri-City, at Kennewick, Wash., 7:05 p.m.

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WHL talks 50th anniversary season . . . Holt, Kennedy head to Swift Current . . . Merkley among U of L recruits

G Tyler Plante (Brandon, 2003-07) signed a one-year contract with the Sheffield Steelers (England, UK Elite). Last season, with Lørenskog (Norway, GET-Ligaen), he was 18-9, 2.36, .918 with two shutouts in 27 games. He was third in the league in save percentage. . . .
F Mike Piluso (Vancouver, Edmonton, 2006-11) signed a one-year contract with Hamburger SV (Germany, Oberliga). Last season, with Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (ACAA), he had 46 points, including 23 goals, in 27 games. He was second in the league’s scoring race. He also was the playoff MVP.
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The WHL’s annual general meeting wrapped up in Vancouver on Wednesday and, if you go by the news release

issued by the league office, hardly anything of note happened.
At least nothing happened unless it had to do with the fact that the 2015-16 season will be the WHL’s 50th anniversary season.
From the news release:
* The WHL season will open Sept. 24 with the Regina Pats visiting the Moose Jaw Warriors. Why open in Moose Jaw? “The East Division is considered the birthplace of the WHL,” according to the news release, “and Moose Jaw is the home of the first ever WHL championship team.”
* The WHL will announce it’s top 50 players of all-time at some point during the season. Fans will help determine that list, while a select panel of long-time WHL observers also will take part.
* In September, the WHL will publish a 50th anniversary book that will “detail the history of the league as well as its clubs, builders, players and key members.”
* Each of the WHL’s 22 teams will play host to one game that will celebrate the 50th season and “honour the history of its franchise and alumni.”
* As well, the Subway Super Series — Team WHL against a touring Russian side — will be played in Kelowna on Nov. 9 and Kamloops on Nov. 10. . . . The CHL Top Prospects Game is to be played in Vancouver on Jan. 28. . . . Red Deer is the host city for the 2016 Memorial Cup tournament, May 19-29.
Unfortunately, there was nothing in the WHL’s news release detailing whether the pooh-bahs discussed such matters as dealing with mental health through education, efforts to prevent concussions, or possible rule changes.
Nor does the news release indicate when the WHL will release its regular-season schedule. Last year, the WHL released its regular-season schedule two weeks after its AGM.
If you are wondering about a playoff format, the one that was in use this spring will be used for at least two more seasons. The WHL announced that format after its 2015 AGM, saying that it would be in place for three seasons.
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“The Western Hockey League is prepared to ‘exhaust every avenue’ to keep the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook, but commissioner Ron Robison reaffirmed there is a demand from other markets, including in the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland, for a franchise if relocation becomes a reality,” writes Cam Tucker of Metro Vancouver. . . . That story is right here.
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The WHL announced Wednesday that former player Greg Gardner is its manager of education services. According to a news release, Gardner “will be responsible to administer the WHL league-wide education program policies and procedures, including monitoring the academic progress” of all players through each team’s education advisor. . . . After playing five seasons (2003-08) with the Prince George Cougars, Gardner spent five seasons with the U of Alberta Golden Bears. He played the last two seasons with the ECHL’s Colorado Eagles. At the U of A, he earned a bachelor's degree in physical education with a concentration in sports performance.
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Todd Holt and Sheldon Kennedy, a pair of former Swift Current Broncos forwards who were sexually abused by GM/head coach Graham James, will be in Swift Current on Friday to support the latest ex-player to come forward with accusations about James. . . . Bill Graveland of The Canadian Press has more right here.
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There is a definite WHL flavour to the U of Lethbridge Pronghorns’ recruits for the 2015-16 season. Head coach Spiros Anastas, who is heading into his second season, announced the commitment of 12 players, including seven with WHL experience. . . . F Bryson Gore (Moose Jaw), D Tyler Hansen (Kamloops), F Sam McKechnie (Lethbridge, Seattle, Saskatoon), F Jay Merkley (Lethbridge, Swift Current), D Blake Orban (Vancouver, Edmonton), F Brett Roulston (Prince George), and F Dalton Sward (Vancouver). . . . Hansen is returning to the ice after leaving the Kamloops Blazers following the 2012-13 season in order to serve a two-year mission with the Church of Latter Day Saints. . . . McKechnie and Orban are second-generation Pronghorns, their fathers, Dana and Scott, having also played at the U of L. . . . Merkley is eligible to return to the WHL for his 20-year-old season, but obviously has decided to go to school.
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Things got a little weird in Major League Baseball on Tuesday. How weird? Well, I would suggest it was one of the goofiest days in MLB history. Jayston Stark of espn.com recaps what truly was a bizarre day right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Tom Keca has taken over as the general manager and head coach of the AJHL’s Fort McMurray Oil Barons. Keca, 44, has previous experience with the Oil Barons, as an assistant coach for nine seasons (2000-06, 2011-14). He also spent four seasons (2006-10) as head coach of the AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats. . . . Keca, who also played for the Oil Barons, takes over from Curtis Hunt, who resigned and signed on as general manager with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders.
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USA Hockey has rounded out the coaching staff for its national junior team. Earlier, it named former NHL coach Ron Wilson as head coach. Joining him as assistant coaches are former NHL players Chris Chelios and Danton Cole, along with Kevin Reiter. . . . Since his retirement as a player, Chelios has worked as an advisor to hockey operations with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. . . . Cole is preparing for his sixth season as a head coach in the U.S. National Team Development Program. . . . Reiter has completed two seasons as the NTDP’s goaltending coach. . . . The U.S. will hold its summer evaluation camp in Lake Placid, N.Y., Aug. 1-8. . . . The 2016 World Junior Championship will be decided in Helsinki, Finland, from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5.
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F Klarc Wilson (Brandon, Edmonton, Prince George, 2009-2014) will attend NAIT and play for the Ooks. Wilson, 22, is from Edmonton. He split last season between the ECHL’s Indy Fuel and Stockton Thunder.
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Americans Championship fever has invaded downtown Dallas tonight thanks to the @OmniHotels Dallas. #KellyCupChampions pic.twitter.com/Ag2VmaFUNN

— #RockYourRed (@AllenAmericans) June 18, 2015

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Ice on thin ice? . . . Will Gallacher kick Penguins' tires? . . . New look for Cougars

SCATTERSHOOTING, with apologies to Blackie Sherrod:

1. Well, Game 1 of the NHL’s Stanley Cup final wasn’t much, at least not until the final five minutes. The Tampa Bay Lightning was nursing a 1-0 lead when it started playing a 1-3-1 defence in the neutral zone in the third period. Shortly afterwards, the Chicago Blackhawks started to dominate and, of course, they won 2-1 with two late goals.
2. The Lethbrige Hurricanes will remain community-owned. They also are attempting to sell 2,000 shares at $1,000 apiece. Does that mean the opportunity is there for someone to purchase those shares for $200,000, spread them among friends and acquaintances, and control the next shareholders’ vote on whether to sell?
3. Hey, it’s not like there isn’t precedent for an end-run like that in the WHL.
4. Tampa Bay F Tyler Johnson has had a terrific spring, as has Chicago F Jonathan Toews. But the best player in the playoffs is Chicago D Duncan Keith and, really, it isn’t that close.
5. If you missed the performance turned in by Seattle Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon on Tuesday night, hunt it up and give it a look. It wasn’t quite in Lou Piniella country, but it was close.
6. The Kootenay Ice’s average attendance in 2014-15 was 2,239. WHL commissioner Ron Robison has told Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman that the figure needs to be at 3,000 or better in 2015-16. Or else . . . Abbotsford Ice?
7. The NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs have at least talked with Kelly McCrimmon, the owner, general manager and head coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings. The Leafs have been hiring major junior executives the way a Greyhound bus takes on passengers. McCrimmon would like nothing better than to be given opportunity at the NHL level. But I can’t see him leaving at this point, not when his Wheat Kings have been built with next season in mind.
8. The more I think about Kootenay hiring Luke Pierce as its new head coach, the more I like it. Hey, what’s not to like. How many WHL coaches have degrees from Royal Military College? Pierce has a BA (psychology major, business minor) and an MBA (concentration in strategic management). He also spent six seasons as the GM/head coach of the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials. Merritt just happens to be his hometown. So he is no stranger to pressure.
9. The NBA Finals — it’s the NBA Finals and the NHL final — starts tonight, meaning it’s Steph versus LeBron. According to Ray Ratto of CSNBayArea.com, the cheapest seat for Game 1 was going for US$638, with the priciest at $58,000. Seriously!
10. Should we be surprised that Dennis Rodman apparently has said he would like to date Caitlyn Jenner?
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F Brett McLean (Tacoma/Kelowna, Brandon, 1994-99) signed a one-year contract with the Linz Black Wings (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with Lugano (Switzerland, NL A), he had nine goals and 21 assists in 47 games. He was an alternate captain. . . .
F Brett Palin (Kelowna, 2000-05) signed a one-year contract with the Linz Black Wings (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). This season, as an alternate captain with Mora (Sweden, Allsvenskan), Palin had four goals and nine assists in 51 games. . . .
F Grant Toulmin (Swift Current, 2005-07, 2008-09) signed a one-year contract with the Hull Stingrays (England, UK Elite). This season, with the Heilbronner Falken (Germany, DEL2), he had 24 points, including nine goals, in 45 games.
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Ron Robison, the WHL commissioner, has reiterated that if the Kootenay Ice’s attendance doesn’t improve in 2015-16, the franchise’s future in Cranbrook may come to an end.
“It’s reached a very critical stage,” Robison told Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman. “I think it’s something we’re going to have to determine this year. If things aren’t improving, I don’t believe ownership or the league will be in a position to continue to support the franchise remaining in Cranbrook. It’s a very critical season coming up. We need to see more support in order to get us to a position where we have confidence in the market moving forward, but at this stage, we’re very concerned about the future of the franchise.”
Rocca’s story includes a chart showing the Ice’s average attendance each season. It was 3,635 in 2000-01 and 2,239 this season.
Robison told Rocca:
“We recognize Cranbrook is a small market in relation to other markets. I think back to when the franchise moved into Cranbrook and the goal and certainly the requirement at that time was to draw a minimum of 2,800 fans. What we see now is (that) it’s going to have to be something in excess of 3,000 a game. When you look at the attendance this year, that’s certainly a long way from where we need to be.”
I’m thinking Luke Pierce, the Ice’s new head coach, should rent for the first year.
Rocca’s story is right here.
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Owners Ron Burkle and Mario Lemieux are exploring the their options in terms of selling the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.
Don’t be surprised if you hear that Bill Gallacher, the owner of the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks and the Kloten Flyers of Switzerland’s NL A, is kicking the tires.
According to a news released from the Penguins, they “have engaged Morgan Stanley to oversee a review of their strategic options.”
Burkle and Lemieux are the lead owners in a group that has owned the franchise for 16 years.
“We conduct periodic reviews of our business and, because we have received several inquiries about the franchise in recent years, we decided to engage Morgan Stanley for their insight and counsel,” Lemieux and Burkle said in a joint statement. “After buying the team out of bankruptcy, ensuring its long-term future in Pittsburgh and creating a strong foundation for continued success, we believe it is time to explore our options.”
Bob McKenzie, TSN’s lead hockey insider, reported right here: “It doesn't mean Burkle and Lemieux are necessarily getting out but they are looking at various options. It's believed Lemieux, perhaps more than Burkle, may have an interest in getting his equity share out of the franchise.”
According to Pittsburgh’s news release, the Penguins “have made the playoffs for nine straight seasons, the second-longest active streak in the NHL. They have sold out 377 straight games, dating back to February 2007, and have led the NHL’s U.S.-based teams in local television ratings for six straight years.”
Gallacher purchased the Winterhawks over the summer of 2008. He bought majority ownership in the Flyers earlier this year.
It is believed that Gallacher has long been interested in owning an NHL franchise, but he has been patient in waiting for what he feels is the right franchise at the right time.
Mike Johnston, who just finished his first season as the Penguins’ head coach, spent the previous six seasons as the Winterhawks’ general manager and head coach. You can bet that he will have provided Gallacher with a lot of inside information on the Pittsburgh franchise.
Earlier this year, Forbes magazine valued the Penguins at US$550 million.
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The Prince George Cougars, who are preparing for a second season under their new ownership group, unveiled a new logo on Wednesday. The 2015-16 season will be the franchise’s 22nd in Prince George.
“It was very important for us to respect the history of both the Prince George Cougars name and logo during this process, particularly since two of our owners (Dan Hamhuis and Eric Brewer) played such a vital part in helping create this team’s identity when they played in Prince George,” Cougars president Greg Pocock said in a news release.“This is another historic moment for the Prince George Cougars franchise. Our new logo keeps the similar color scheme that our fans have come to know and love, while also providing a new identifiable symbol that will help unite our fans as the excitement and passion continues to build for all that lies ahead for us.” . . . The logo was designed by Mike Doran of Prince George-based Splash Media. . . . This will be the Cougars’ fourth logo since they relocated from Victoria after 1993-94. . . . For more on the Cougars and their Wednesday announcements, click right here.
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The fifth annual Hockey Coaches Conference is scheduled for July 24 and 25 in Vancouver. Presenters announced to date include NHL head coaches Willie Desjardins and Mike Johnston; Toronto Maple Leafs AGM Kyle Dubas; Mike Valley, the Dallas Stars’ goaltender coach; Roger Takahashi, the Canucks’ strength and conditioning coach; and, Scott Salmond, vice-president, hockey operations and national teams with Hockey Canada. . . . For lots more info, check out the website right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Ron Wilson, a veteran NHL coach, is expected to be named head coach of the U.S. national junior team this morning. Wilson, 60, was fired as the head coach of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs late in the 2011-12 season. Prior to that, he spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the Vacnouver Canucks, four as the head coach of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, five as head coach of the Washington Capitals and five as head coach of the San Jose Sharks.
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The junior B Kelowna Chiefs of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League have signed Ryan Jorde and Lennie Rampone as assistant coaches. Jorde and Rampone, both of whom are from Kelowna, will work alongside head coach Jason Tansem. . . . Jorde, 34, spent the past four seasons coaching at the Pursuit of Excellence Academy. He played parts of five seasons in the WHL (Tri-City Americans, Lethbridge Hurricanes, Moose Jaw Warriors, 1997-2002). . . . Rampone, 36, captained the BCHL’s Vernon Vipers when they won the 1999 RBC Cup as national junior A champions. Of late, he has coached in Calgary and Kelowna.
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 In the ECHL, the South Carolina Stingrays scored a 4-1 victory over the host Allen Americans in Game 3 of the Kelly Cup final. . . . The Stingrays hold a 2-1 lead, with the next three games in their home arena. . . . Attendance for Game 3 was 3,604. . . . Allen held a 40-28 edge in shots. . . . The series will resume with games in North Charleston, S.C., on Sunday and Tuesday. Game 6, if needed, would be played on Wednesday.
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Teuvo Teravainen: "When I scored the goal I think the first thing was, ‘Oh no, I have to go do media now.' " #Blackhawks

— Chris Kuc (@ChrisKuc) June 4, 2015

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Hurricanes' new coach is . . . Robison reacts to Lethbridge vote . . . Ex-Seattle goalie to coach Ravens

The Lethbridge Hurricanes will introduce a new head coach on Thursday afternoon and social media speculation has it that the new man is Brent Kisio. . . . Kisio has spent the past eight seasons with the Calgary Hitmen, moving from video coach/assistant coach to associate coach. . . . The son of former Hitmen head coach Kelly Kisio, Brent played four seasons at the U of Nebraska-Omaha, graduating with a degree in criminology. . . . He has been Calgary’s associate coach for three seasons. . . .
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes and assistant coach Bryan Maxwell mutually decided to go their separate ways on Tuesday. Maxwell, a veteran WHL coach, is a former Hurricanes general manager and head coach (1995-03) who returned as an assistant last summer.
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The fallout and reaction continues from the Hurricanes shareholders’ meeting that took place in Lethbridge on Monday evening.
At that meeting, attendees voted 68 per cent in favour of moving forward with the process to sell the franchise. However, that wasn’t enough as the Hurricanes’ constitution calls for a 75 per cent majority in order to go ahead. Thus, the franchise will remain in the hands of the community.
Interestingly, Mike Moore, the general manager and vice-president of business operations of the rival Calgary Hitmen, attended the meeting. It seems the NHL’s Calgary Flames, who own the Hitmen, own 86 shares in the Hurricanes.
All of which leads to this question: What are the optics of one WHL team, a privately owned team at that, owning shares in a community-owned rival?
The Hitmen, of course, are owned by the NHL’s Calgary Flames. Did the Flames own a piece of the Hurricanes when they purchased the Hitmen in 1997? If they did, why weren’t the Flames forced to divest themselves of those shares at that time?
Ron Robison, the WHL commissioner, addressed that issue in an interview with Pat Siedlecki, the news director at CJOC in Lethbridge:
“It’s a historical matter that has not been resolved and we will certainly be addressing that . . . the reality is that the Flames do have shares that were acquired many years ago and remain in a position to exercise those rights under the shareholder agreement. Consequently, they were eligible and had the right to attend the meeting.”
Asked if it was a conflict, Robison replied:
“It is certainly under private ownership, but it remains for interpretation under community ownership. Our view is that the matter needs to be addressed and will be addressed in the near future with both the Lethbridge Hurricanes and the Calgary Hitmen.”
Meanwhile, Robison told Siedlecki that the WHL has to “respect the excision of the shareholders.”
Robison added that there was an obvious sign that “the majority wish to go that direction, but at the end of the day the constitution stands with respect to 75 per cent as a requirement. . . . Consequently, the community ownership will continue in Lethbridge and we intend to get fully behind the community ownership and the board to support them to the full extent.”
Robison, who early in May had recommended to shareholders that they sell the franchise to private interests, did admit to being surprised by Monday’s decision.
“I guess I would be a little bit, only because I think there was a strong movement in that direction,” he stated. “Now we need to move on to do what we need to do to support and strengthen the community ownership.”
Asked if the franchise might still be privatized down the road, Robison said: “The only way that would occur is if the club could no longer meet its financial obligations, and we are hopeful that’s not going to be the case. We have to show every confidence in the board and their ability to turn things around. . . . We are going to watch very carefully and ensure that the business plan is realistic.”
The complete interview is right here. It runs five minutes 42 seconds.
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Despite the fact that F Connor McDavid and his Erie Otters weren’t in the Memorial Cup tournament, the championship game, between the Oshawa Generals and Kelowna Rockets, did quite well in terms of TV viewership. In fact, it drew the second largest Memorial Cup audience in Sportsnet history -- an average viewership of 759,000. . . . Chris Zelkovich of Yahoo! Sports Canada has more right here.
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Tom Gaglardi, the owner of the NHL’s Dallas Stars and the majority owner of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, wasn’t in court Tuesday as the Crown’s appeal of an earlier judgment was heard. . . . The Crown has asked that fines against Gaglardi and his company, Northland Properties, be doubled after both were convicted of damaging salmon habitat. . . . Tim Petruk of Kamloops This Week has that story right here.
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Don't forget to check out our poll over there on the right, and take a stab at picking the next head coach of the Vancouver Giants.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Danny Lorenz, a former WHL goaltender, has signed on as the head coach of the Seattle Ravens, who are preparing for their first season in the seven-team Northern Pacific Hockey League. . . . Lorenz, 45, played four seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds (1986-90) before going on to a 14-season pro career. . . . Of late, he has been the hockey director at the Kent Valley Hockey Association. . . . The NPHL is a junior league with teams playing a 42-game regular season. The other teams are the Cheney Icehawks, Eugene Generals, West Sound Warriors, Wenatchee Wolves, Bellingham Blazers and Tri-City Outlaws.
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The Regina Pats have signed D Dawson Barteaux, who was the 14th overall selection in the WHL’s 2015 bantam draft. Barteaux, from Foxwarren, Man., played this season with the Yellowhead Chiefs, who play in the Winnipeg bantam AAA league. He had 27 points, including seven goals, in 31 games. . . . Barteaux was one of 34 prospects to attend the Pats’ spring camp last weekend.
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The Kamloops Blazers have signed F James Shepard, who was their first selection in the 2015 bantam draft. He was the 22nd player selected, taken with the first pick of the second round. . . . The 5-foot-8, 155-pound Shepard, who is from West Vancouver, had 111 points, including 32 goals, in 61 games with the North Shore Winter Club’s bantam AAA team that won the Western Canadian bantam championship. . . . It is expected that Shepard will play with the major midget Vancouver-Northwest Giants in 2015-16. . . . The Blazers now have signed their first two picks from the 2015 bantam draft. D Devan Harrison of Dysart, Sask., who was taken three picks after Shepard, signed on May 13.
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In the AHL, a couple of former WHL coaches have guided their teams into the Calder Cup final. . . . Travis Green and his Utica Comets scored a 2-0 victory over the visiting Grand Rapids Griffins last night to win the Western Conference final, 4-2. . . . The Comets (Vancouver Canucks) will meet Mike Stothers and his Manchester Monarchs (Los Angeles Kings) in the final. The series will follow a 2-3-2 format with Games 1 and 2 in Manchester, N.H., on Saturday and Sunday. . . . The teams had the AHL’s top two regular-season records. . . . The Comets are in their second AHL season. The Monarchs are moving to Ontario, Calif., after this season. . . . The two teams have never played against each other. . . . Last night, F Cory Conacher scored at 3:16 of the second period and F Alexandre Grenier added an empty-netter at 18:46 of the third. . . . Utica G Jacob Markstrom stopped 21 shots. . . . Attendance was 3,835.
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F Spencer Asuchak and F Dyson Stevenson, both former WHLers, each had a goal and an assist last night as the host Allen Americans scored a 5-2 victory over the South Carolina Stingrays in Game 2 of the ECHL’s championship final. . . . The series, using a 3-3-1 format, is tied 1-1 with Game 3 in Allen tonight. . . . Stevenson scored his second playoff goal at 6:05 of the first period to open the scoring. Asuchak’s 11th playoff goal, at 4:43 of the third, gave Allen a 4-1 lead. . . . Attendance was 3,804. . . . Asuchak, from Kamloops, played with the Tri-City Americans and Prince George Cougars (2008-12). . . . Stevenson, from Shaunavon, Sask., played for the Regina Pats (2010-13).

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Commissioner urges shareholders to sell 'Canes . . . Portland gets small reprieve . . . Bjorkstrand to worlds

MONDAY’S GAME:

No Game Scheduled.

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Ron Robison, the WHL commissioner, was in Lethbridge on Monday evening to speak to Hurricanes’ shareholders. The gathering was closed to the public and to the media.
Afterwards, Robison told local media that he had told shareholders that “given the team’s current financial position, I recommend they strongly consider private ownership.”
The franchise has been headed in that direction since its last annual general meeting. At that meeting, a motion was put forward asking that shareholders entertain a sale. Next up will be a special meeting at which shareholders will vote on whether to hold a vote on the sale. The date for that meeting will be set sometime in the next three weeks.
Paul Kingsmith of Global TV has more right here.
One paragraph in Kingsmith’s report reads: “Should shareholders choose to sell, they would have a say in who the team is sold to, although final approval rests with the WHL’s board of governors. Robison stresses the league favours local owners, and points to the Kamloops Blazers as the ideal template of how a team can successfully transition from community to private ownership.”
The Blazers were sold by shareholders to Tom Gaglardi, Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla, Mark Recchi and Darryl Sydor prior to the 2007-08 season. While those five all have ties to Kamloops, it would be a reach to call any of them “local.” Recchi is the only one of the five who was born in Kamloops, but his appearances here have lessened with time.
Also, perhaps Robison has forgotten how messy things were around Kamloops in the months leading up to the sale. Sheesh! I seem to recall both parties appearing in B.C. Supreme Court before all the smoke had cleared. And we won’t even get into the hullabaloo that took place when Mike Priestner, now the owner of the Saskatoon Blades, got involved by making an offer to purchase the Blazers. At one point, Jim Pattison — yes, that Jim Pattison! — was said to be contemplating making an offer.
Perhaps the commissioner has forgotten that the Blazers’ shareholders voted during the summer of 2006 not to sell the franchise. At that time, it wasn’t a case of not selling to the Gaglardi group; it was a case of not wanting to sell to anyone.
Over the winter of 2006-07, a lot of shares changed hands and ended up with folks who voted to sell to the Gaglardi group at a meeting during the summer of 2007.
Under new ownership, the Blazers have struggled, on and off the ice, to find an identity. They have missed the playoffs three of the last five seasons, including each of the last two. They were eliminated four times in the first round, lost out once in the second round, and reached the Western Conference final once. They have had six head coaches — seven if you count Guy Charron twice — and two interim head coaches in eight seasons.
In 2006-07, the last season under community ownership, the average attendance was 4,787. In 2007-08, the first season under new ownership, it was 4,562. It slid to 4,132, before reaching 4,825 in 2012-13 when the Blazers had a 99-point regular season. However, attendance slipped to 4,148 the following season. This season’s average was 3,994.
The one really good thing that came out of the sale is that the Kamloops Blazers Sports Society, which sold the franchise, has invested the money it received from the sale and now puts money into the community through its Sports Legacy Fund.
Since 2009, the society has issued $2,158,287 in grants to 84 organizations. Earlier this year, 27 organizations shared in $325,000 in grants.
For more on the terrific work being done by the society, click right here.
Under terms of the sale of the Blazers, the society retained the right to buy back the franchise at the original sale price should the Gaglardi group ever choose to sell.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have signed general manager Peter Anholt to a three-year contract. Anholt took over as GM/head coach on Dec. 10, with the Hurricanes having fired GM Brad Robson and head coach Drake Berehowsky. . . . Anholt is adamant that he won’t return as head coach, and that he will hire a coach after the bantam draft. . . . “I certainly have a type of coach I’m looking for,” Anholt said on Monday. “I would like it to be a teacher, somebody that’s going to relate well with the young players. And it would be nice to have experience in our league.” . . . If that, indeed, is what Anholt is looking for, you have to wonder if he might take a look at someone like Victoria Royals assistant coach Enio Sacilotto. . . . Paul Kingsmith of Global TV has more on the Anholt signing right here.
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The WHL has revealed that it has returned Portland’s 2017 first-round bantam draft pick to the Winterhawks. . . . On Nov. 28, 2012, the WHL ruled that the Winterhawks wouldn’t be permitted to take part in the first five rounds of the 2013 bantam draft and also took away first-round selections in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. As well, the Winterhawks were fined $200,000 and GM/head coach Mike Johnston was suspended for the remainder of the season, including the playoffs. . . . The Winterhawks were ruled to have broken player-benefit rules, including flying in parents to watch games, supplying some players with cell phones and paying some players off-season training allowances. . . . The last paragraph of Monday’s news release reads: “The WHL and the Portland Winterhawks will not be making any further comment on this matter.” . . . While the Winterhawks wouldn’t make any official comment, one insider told Taking Note that this was “total vindication.”
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Doug Kerslake, who played with the 1970-71 Edmonton Oil Kings who reached the Memorial Cup, has died. Kerslake, who was born in Saskatoon, was 65. . . . There is an obituary right here.
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F Oliver Bjorkstrand of the Portland Winterhawks will join Denmark at the IIHF World championship tournament that is being played in Czech Republic. Bjorkstrand, whose NHL rights belong to the Columbus Blue Jackets, scored 76 goals in 76 games this season. He had 63 goals in 59 regular-season games and followed that up with 13 goals in 17 playoff games.
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The Kamloops Blazers have signed G Dylan Ferguson, who was an eighth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. Ferguson, from Lantzville, B.C., will turn 17 on Sept. 20. He played the last two seasons for the midget AAA Notre Dame Hounds, who play out of Athol Murray College in Wilcox, Sask. This season, he was 17-7-0, 2.70, .907. . . . One would think that Connor Ingram, 18, goes into training camp in August as the No. 1 goaltender. Barring a transaction, that would leave Ferguson to scrap with returnee Cole Kehler, who turns 18 on Dec. 17, for the backup position. Ingram got into 52 games this season, while Kehler played in 21.
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“The Crown wants a ‘safety plan’ in place to protect the fiancée of a former Kamloops Blazers defenceman facing a domestic-assault allegation,” writes Tim Petruk of Kamloops This Week. “Cory Crichton was charged last week with assault causing bodily harm in relation to an April 19 altercation with his fiancée.” . . . Crichton, who is from Kamloops, played four games with the Blazers in 1987-88 and 55 in 1988-89. . . . Petruk’s story is right here.
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Have you ever wondered what suggestions are made when a team goes public in its search for a new nickname? In this case, it’s the U of North Dakota, which is looking to replace Fighting Sioux as its nickname. . . . Chris Peters of cbssports.com has more right here, and a lot of it isn’t pretty.
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No doubt you have tuned into a sporting event, either on radio or TV, and had one of the broadcasters check in with his “Keys to the Game.” And no doubt you have reacted with: “No kidding!” . . . Well, Fox Sports San Diego has taken “Keys to the Game” to a new level. . . . Check it out right here and you will never again look at “Keys to the Game” in the same light.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Colin Chaulk is the new head coach of the ECHL’s Brampton Beast. Chaulk, 38, spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings. . . . Chaulk replaces Brent Hughes, who was fired after a 23-46-3 season. This was the Beast’s first season in the ECHL.

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