Rockets, Generals in Memorial Cup final . . . Hockey Canada honours Tuer . . . Campese back coaching

F Adam Hughesman (Tri-City, 2006-12) signed a one-year contract with Sterzing/Vipiteno (Italy, Serie A). This season, with the Reading Royals (ECHL), he had 23 goals and 44 assists in 69 ghames. He also had one goal in three games with the Manchester Monarchs (AHL). Hughesman led Reading in assists and was second in points. . . .
F Brad Ross (Portland, 2007-12) signed a one-year-plus-option contract with the Iserlohn Roosters (Germany, DEL). This season, he had four goals and four assists in 32 games with the Toronto Marlies (AHL) and five goals and six assists in 32 games with the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL). . . .
D Rod Sarich (Calgary, 1996-2002) signed a one-year extension with the Sheffield Steelers (England, UK Elite). This season, he had three goals and seven assists in 60 games. Sarich has dual Canadian-UK citizenship. Next season will be his 10th season with Sheffield. He has played 507 games with the Steelers, fifth on their all-time list.
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The WHL-champion Kelowna Rockets advanced to the Memorial Cup final by thrashing the host Quebec Remparts 9-3 before 9,870 fans on Friday night. . . . The Remparts were playing their third game in three nights and it showed. This also was their final game in the historic Colisee, as they will move into the brand new Videotron Centre next season. . . . The Rockets and OHL-champion Oshawa Generals will play Sunday

evening for the major junior championship. . . . The Generals went 3-0 in the round-robin to earn a bye into the final. The Rockets were 1-2 in the round-robin, including a 2-1 loss to Oshawa on Tuesday. . . . The Generals haven’t played since that game. . . . The QMJHL, the host league, won’t be represented in the final. This will be the first time that has happened since 2009 when the final, in Rimouski, Que., featured the Rockets and the Windsor Spitfires. That was the Rockets’ last Memorial Cup appearance. The Spitfires won that one, 4-1. . . . Oshawa head coach DJ Smith was on Windsor’s coaching staff at the time. . . . Last night, the Rockets got two goals and two assists from F Justin Kirkland, with F Leon Draisaitl and D Josh Morrissey each getting a goal and two assists. . . . Kelowna F Rourke Chartier scored twice. . . . F Adam Erne gave Quebec a 1-0 lead at 3:11 of the first period, with Kelowna F Chance Braid tying it at 9:51. . . . Kelowna took control with four second-period goals, the first three coming in a span of 3:49 in the first 4:06. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle stopped 20 shots, while Quebec’s Zach Fucale, who turned 20 on Thursday, turned aside 35. . . . The Rockets were 3-for-6 on the PP; the Remparts were 1-for-7. . . . The referees were Jonathan Alarie and Olivier Gouin, both from the QMJHL. In fact, they were the referees on Wednesday when the Remparts dropped a 4-0 decision to the Rimouski Oceanic. After that game, Quebec head coach Phillippe Boucher ripped the officiating and later was fined $10,000. . . . The Rockets were 51-for-82 on faceoffs, with Draisaitl going 16-for-26. . . . Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News has more on the game right here, and it included quite a trash-throwing incident involving the fans.
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Here is the Memorial Cup schedule (all games on Sportsnet; all times Eastern):
Friday, May 22: Kelowna 3 vs. Quebec 4 (9,497)
Saturday, May 23: Rimouski 3 vs. Oshawa 4 (8,409)
Sunday, May 24: Quebec 4 vs. Oshawa 5 (OT) (10,970)
Monday, May 25: Rimouski 3 vs. Kelowna 7 (6,981)
Tuesday, May 26: Oshawa 2 vs. Kelowna 1 (7,002)
Wednesday, May 27: Quebec 0 vs. Rimouski 4 (10,277)
Thursday, May 28 (tiebreaker): Quebec 5 vs. Rimouski 2 (6,533)
Friday, May 29 (semifinal): Kelowna 9 vs. Quebec 3 (9,870)
Sunday (championship): Oshawa vs. Kelowna, 7 p.m.
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Luke Pierce, who signed with the Kootenay Ice earlier in the week, is the youngest head coach in the WHL, and it isn’t even close.
Keeping in mind that the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Vancouver Giants have yet to sign head coaches, here’s a look at the ages of the league’s head guys, from youngest to oldest:
Luke Pierce, Kootenay Ice, 31
Steve Hamilton, Edmonton Oil Kings, 41
Mike Williamson, Tri-City Americans, 42
Steve Konowalchuk, Seattle Thunderbirds, 42
Mark French, Calgary Hitmen, 44
Dan Lambert, Kelowna Rockets, 45
Mark Holick, Prince George Cougars, 46
Shaun Clouston, Medicine Hat Tigers, 47
Bob Woods, Saskatoon Blades, 47
Jamie Kompon, Portland Winterhawks, 48
Dave Lowry, Victoria Royals, 50
Mark Lamb, Swift Current Broncos, 50
Marc Habscheid, Prince Albert Raiders, 52
Brent Sutter, Red Deer Rebels, 52
Kelly McCrimmon, Brandon Wheat Kings, 54
Tim Hunter, Moose Jaw Warriors, 54
Don Nachbaur, Spokane Chiefs, 56
Kevin Constantine, Everett Silvertips, 56
John Paddock, Regina Pats, 60
Don Hay, Kamloops Blazers, 61
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Graham Tuer, one of the really good guys in the hockey world, received an Order of Merit for dedicated service to the sport during Hockey Canada’s Spring Congress in Toronto on Friday. . . . Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post has more right here. . . . It’s also worth mentioning that Brad Howard of Regina, a longtime on-ice official and someone who continues to be involved with officiating, was presented with Hockey Canada’s Officiating Award for his contributions to that aspect of the game.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors are holding their prospects’ camp this weekend, and there are some familiar names on hand. . . . F Landon Quinney of Las Vegas, who has played in the Arizona Bobcats program, is the son of former Calgary Wranglers F Ken Quinney and the brother of Gage, a forward with the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Also in camp, reports Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald, is F Erik Middendorf, who was a fourth-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft. From Phoenix, he is the nephew of F Max Middendorf, who played in the QMJHL and NHL. . . . The Warriors have put some added emphasis on their American scouting of late. Former Lethbridge Hurricanes GM Bob Bartlett is Moose Jaw’s senior scout and manager of U.S. scouting and player development.
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Here’s Jeb Lund, for Rolling Stone, on the biggest story in sports this year: “FIFA is so grandiosely historically corrupt that busting them for this, finally, feels like ignoring reports on Jeffrey Dahmer for years and then raiding his kitchen for health-code violations.” . . . This excellent piece is right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Bruno Campese, the former general manager of the Prince Albert Raiders, has been named head coach of the Penticton, B.C.-based Okanagan Hockey Academy’s bantam prep team. . . . Campese, 51, spent eight seasons with the Raiders, beginning as head coach. He coached until 2011 and was the general manager from 2008-15. . . . Before joining the Raiders, Campese spent three seasons as director of hockey operations and head coach with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees.
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Brian Wiebe tweeted Friday that the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials have promoted Joe Martin, their assistant general manager and assistant coach, to GM and head coach. He takes over from Luke Pierce, who signed on as the Kootenay Ice’s head coach earlier in the week. . . . Pierce had been with the Centennials for six seasons. . . . Martin has been with the Centennials since May 27, 2011. He had been GM/head coach of the junior B Creston Valley Thundercats of the Kootenay International Junior League. . . . Wiebe, by the way, has been named assistant GM of the junior B Port Moody Panthers. He already was their director of media and communications.
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Fred Harbinson, the general manager and head coach of the BCHL’s Penticton Vees, has decided to stay put. Andy Baggot of the Wisconsin State Journal has reported that Mike Eaves, the head coach of the U of Wisconsin Badgers, offered Harbinson an assistant-coaching position. Harbinson told Baggot he had multiple conversations with Eaves and received a “very strong” offer. . . . Harbinson chose to remain in Penticton because “it’s better for me and my family to stay put.”
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The Tri-City Americans have signed F Carson Focht, the seventh overall selection in the WHL’s 2015 bantam draft. The 6-foot-0, 150-pound Focht, from Regina, played with the Notre Dame Hounds of Wilcox, Sask. He led the bantam league in scoring, with 70 points, including 39 goals, in 38 games. . . .
In the AHL, the host Grand Rapids Griffins earned a 3-2 OT victory over the Utica Comets before 8,967 fans on Friday night. That tied the Western Conference final 2-2 with Game 5 in Grand Rapids on Sunday. . . . F Andreas Athanasiou got the winner last night, at 5:05 of the first extra period. . . .
The NHL’s Montreal Canadiens no longer are affiliated with the ECHL’s Wheeling Thunder. Instead, Montreal’s ECHL affiliate will be the Brampton, Ont., Beast. . . . The Beast will play in the 5,000-seat Powerade Centre, the former home of the OHL’s Brampton Battalion.
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@sask_hockey Our own Graham Tuer and his granddaughter & #puckster @HockeyCanada awards gala. #hockeyproud pic.twitter.com/9gdl0Ykfnn

— Scott Frizzell (@ScottFrizz) May 29, 2015

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Rockets complete championship sweep . . . Tigers getting "pushed out" of The Hat? . . . New logo for Cougars?

F Ondřej Roman (Spokane, 2006-09) signed a two-year contract with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg (Russia, KHL). This season, with Vítkovice Ostrava (Czech Republic, Extraliga), he had 13 goals and 28 assists in 52 games. An alternate captain, he led the team in assists.
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Hockey's great tradition. #bdnmb #bwk15 pic.twitter.com/bEyEbkUvK0

— Robert Henderson (@HendoRob) May 14, 2015

WEDNESDAY’S GAME:

In Kelowna, the Rockets broke open a scoreless game with shorthanded goals 19 seconds apart in the third period and went on to beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 3-0. . . . The Rockets swept the WHL championship series for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, 4-0, outscoring Brandon 17-9 in the process. . . . Kelowna also won the WHL title in 2003, 2005 and 2009. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle, who is from West Kelowna, stopped 19 shots in earning his fourth shutout of these playoffs. . . . The Rockets opened the scoring at 1:10 of the third period when F Leon Draisaitl scored at 1:10, and F Rourke Chartier made it 2-0 at 1:29. . . . Kelowna F Dillon Dube was serving a delay-of-game penalty at the time of both goals. . . . Draisaitl’s goal was his 10th; Chartier had 13. . . . The Rockets scored four shorthanded goals over the series’ last three games. . . . Rockets F Nick Merkley iced it with his fifth goal at 14:30. . . . Chartier and Draisaitl each added an assist to their goals. . . . Draisaitl, who was named the playoff MVP, had a goal and an assist in each of the last three games. . . . Draisaitl, who was acquired from the Prince Albert Raiders in a January trade that was dictated by the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, finished tied for the playoff scoring lead with F Nic Petan of the Portland Winterhawks, each with 28 points. . . . Merkley led in playoff assists, with 22, while Chartier, F Adam Tambellini of the Calgary Hitmen and Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand each scored 13 goals. . . . The Wheat Kings took the game’s first three penalties, but the Rockets came up empty on all three PPs. . . . Brandon was 0-for-4 on the PP; Kelowna was 0-for-2. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 27 shots. . . . The referees were Jeff Ingram and Brett Iverson. . . . Brandon F Reid Duke was back in the lineup after an eight-game absence. With Duke in, F Braylon Shmyr was out. . . . The attendance was 6,428. . . . The last sweep in the WHL final came in the spring of 2008 when the Spokane Chiefs ousted the Lethbridge Hurricanes. The Chiefs went on to win the Memorial Cup in Kitchener, Ont. . . . The Rockets will represent the WHL in the Memorial Cup in Quebec City. Also there will be the Quebec Remparts, Rimouski Oceanic and either the Erie Otters or Oshawa Generals.

I wonder how the WHL final would have worked out if all the teams had a shot at acquiring Draisatl?

— Dylan Purcell (@dylpurcell) May 14, 2015

I wonder if Craig MacTavish's name will be written on the Ed Chynoweth Cup. #Draisaitltrade

— Kelly Friesen (@KellyFriesen) May 14, 2015

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Dan Lambert, the head coach of the Kelowna Rockets, will be a media favourite at the Memorial Cup when it opens in Quebec City on May 21.
For starters, Lambert, 45, guided the Rockets to the WHL title in his first season as their head coach. An assistant coach for five seasons, he moved up when Ryan Huska left to join the Calgary Flames organization as the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Adirondack Flames.
Lambert, who is from St. Malo, Man., also is bilingual, so you know that his French is going to get a workout at the four-team tournament.
On top of that, Lambert was selected by the Quebec Nordiques in the sixth round of the 1989 NHL draft. A highly skilled defenceman with Swift Current, he had 102 regular-season points in 1988-89, a season in which the Broncos won the Memorial Cup.
Lambert played 29 NHL games, all with the Nordiques, scoring six goals and adding nine assists.
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A good piece of the credit for the Kelowna Rockets’ latest WHL championship should go to Lorne Frey, the assistant GM and director of player personnel, and his scouting staff.
The Rockets have 27 players on their playoff roster, with 16 of those having been selected by Kelowna in the WHL bantam draft. Take away imports Leon Draisaitl and Tomas Soustal and the percentage of players from the bantam draft is even higher.
Of the 20 players who were in uniform for last night’s championship-clinching victory, 11 were Kelowna bantam draft selections.
Of the remaining nine players, three were acquired from the Prince Albert Raiders (F Leon Draisaitl), D Josh Morrissey, F Gage Quinney, one from the Prince George Cougars (F Chance Braid), one from the Tri-City Americans (F Rodney Southam) and one from the Vancouver Giants (G Jackson Whistle).
G Michael Herringer was added to the Rockets’ list after being released by the Saskatoon Blades.
D Devante Stephens was a list player who wasn’t selected in the 2012 WHL bantam draft.
Soustal was acquired in the CHL’s 2014 import draft.
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These are interesting times in Medicine Hat where the Tigers have vacated their long-time home, the Arena, and are to begin play in the brand new Regional Event Centre next season. Except that there is his matter of a lease. . . . “We’re concerned certainly and we would like to get this done,” Dave Andjelic, the Tigers’ senior director of marketing and public relations, tells CHAT-TV.“But the situation is the City of Medicine Hat needs to step in here and move this forward.” . . . Andjelic says the Tigers tried to convince the City to get a lease signed even before construction began. And what if a lease isn’t agreed to when the next season arrives? . . . “The thing is, and what we don’t want to see is — and it’s the worst thing for everybody — is if something doesn’t come together and we’re pushed out of Medicine Hat,” Andjelic says. . . . CHAT-TV’s story is right here.
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Might the Prince George Cougars have a new logo ready for the start of a new season? The Cougars, of course, changed hands prior to the start of this season. The new owners kept the team’s logo — that’s it there on the left. . . . Now you have to wonder if they are at least thinking about unveiling a new logo, something that would help cut the cord with the previous regime. . . . Chris Creamer of sportslogos.net reports that the Cougars have trademarked a new logo. . . . Take a look right here.
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Chico will continue to be the man in Prince George. The Cougars have signed equipment manager Ramandeep (Chico) Dhanjal to a contract extension. The length of the extension wasn’t revealed. Dhanhal, from Saskatoon, is preparing for his eighth season with the Cougars. This season, on March 13 in Kennewick, Wash., he worked his 500th regular-season game.
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After 16 seasons as the voice of the Kootenay Ice, Jeff Hollick has decided to turn the page. Hollick announced Wednesday that he won’t return for a 17th season; however, he didn’t say anything about what might be in his future. . . . On his blog, Between The Lines, he wrote: "I have been extremely fortunate to cover three WHL championship teams and a Memorial Cup-winning team. Whenever I am asked for my favourite all-time moment or game, I have at least a dozen to choose from and can never narrow it down to just one. It has been an amazing, remarkable and unforgettable time." . . . Hollick spent 16 seasons calling games on Jim Pattison Broadcast Group stations The Drive 102.9 FM and B-104 Total Country. . . . The Ice and The Drive will begin a new three-year contract with the start of the 2015-16 season.
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The Vancouver Giants have signed F Tyler Popowich, who was the third overall selection in last week’s WHL bantam draft. Popowich, from Surrey, B.C., had 57 points, including 25 goals, in 47 games with the Okanagan Hockey Academy bantam prep team in Penticton. . . . Popowich’s signing means that the first three selections in the 2015 bantam draft are signed. Earlier in the week, the Spokane Chiefs signed D Ty Smith, the first pick, and the Lethbridge Hurricanes signed D Calen Addison, who was No. 2.
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The Kamloops Blazers have signed D Devan Harrison, whom they selected in the second round of last week’s bantam draft. Harrison, from Dysart, Sask., had 35 points, 10 of them goals, in 31 games with the bantam AA Prairie Storm. He was the team captain. . . . Harrison also had one goal in five games with the midget AAA Moose Jaw Generals.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Fabian Joseph has left the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats “to pursue head-coaching opportunities,” according to a news release. Joseph had been the team’s associate coach. He had been with the Wildcats through eight seasons, first as an assistant coach. He had been associate coach for four seasons. . . . Joseph, who is from Sydney, N.S., played two seasons (1982-84) with the WHL’s Victoria Cougars. . . . The Wildcats now are accepting applications for the positions of assistant coach, co-ordinator of goaltending development, and head equipment manager.
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John Harrington is the new head coach of the women’s hockey team at Minnesota State U-Mankato. . . . Harrington, who played on the 1980 U.S. Olympic men’s team, has been scouting for the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche for the past four seasons. Prior to that, he was the head coach at St. John’s (1993-2008). . . . According to a news release, “Other finalists for the job were former UMD women's hockey assistant coach Laura Schuler and Hibbing, Minn. native Amber Fryklund, who is currently an assistant coach with the Bemidji State women's program.”
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In the OHL, F Cole Cassels scored at 8:19 of OT as the visiting Oshawa Generals beat the Erie Otters, 6-5. . . . The Generals lead the championship final 3-1 and have their first opportunity to end it on Friday night at home. . . . The winner came on the PP after Erie was hit with a delay-of-game penalty for a puck over the glass from the defensive zone. . . . Attendance was 6,629. . . . Oshawa D Josh Brown, the team captain, tied the game 5-5 when he scored with 0.6 seconds left in the second period. It was his second goal of the playoffs. . . . Erie F Connor McDavid had a goal, his 21st, and three assists. . . .

In the QMJHL, the Rimouski Oceanic scored a 4-2 victory over the host Quebec Remparts. . . . That series is 2-2 with the road team having won each game. . . . They’ll play Game 5 in Rimouski on Friday. . . . The Remparts scored two PP goals before the game was eight minutes old. . . . The Oceanic tied it before the end of the period and then added two second-period goals. . . . Attendance was 9,843.
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5/13/11 R.I.P Derek "Boogeyman" Boogaard. Never forgotten. pic.twitter.com/ANuejbHcsb

— Gerald Owen King III (@KINGOWENIII) May 14, 2015

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Kelowna one win from title; can finish it on Wednesday . . . First two draft picks sign

F Gaelan Patterson (Saskatoon, 2006-10) signed a one-year contract with Sparta Sarpsborg (Norway, GET-Ligaen). This season, with the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL), he had 11 goals and 25 assists in 71 games.
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MONDAY’S GAME:

In Kelowna, F Rourke Chartier scored twice and added an assist to help the Rockets to a 5-3 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The Rockets lead the championship series for the Ed Chynoweth Cup 3-0 and get their first chance to close it out on Wednesday night at home. . . . This certainly hasn’t turned into the series most observers were expecting, but it does fit in with the rest of this spring’s playoff rounds. With this series yet to be completed, the WHL has had two series go four games this season, with eight decided in five, three in six and one in seven. . . . Kelowna F Leon Draisaitl opened the scoring with his ninth goal, shorthanded, at 6:35 of the first period. . . . Brandon tied it on F Morgan Klimchuk’s PP goal at 7:48 — he’s got three goals — but Kelowna responded with the game’s next three goals. . . . F Gage Quinney put Kelowna back out in front 59 seconds later, with his sixth playoff goal. . . . F Dillon Dube got his fifth at 4:15 of the second period and Chartier made it 4-1 at 15:02. . . . Brandon F Nolan Patrick scored his eighth goal at 15:28 of the second and F Tim McGauley got his eighth, at 10:06 of the third, to get the visitors to within one. . . . But Chartier iced it with his 12th of the playoffs at 13:48. . . . Rockets F Nick Merkley had three assists, while Draisaitl and Quinney had an assist each. . . . Draisaitl has 26 points, two behind Calgary F Adam Tambellini, who leads the scoring race. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle stopped 26 shots, one fewer than Brandon’s Jordan Papirny. . . . Brandon was 1-for-3 on the PP; Kelowna was 0-for-5. . . . The referees were Matt Kirk and Steve Papp. . . . Attendance was 6,271.
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The Spokane Chiefs have signed D Ty Smith, the first overall selection in the WHL’s 2015 bantam draft. Smith, 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds, is from Lloydminster, Alta. . . . The only other time the Chiefs held the first overall selection was in 2006 when they took D Jared Cowen. . . . This season, Smith had 28 points, including nine goals, in 16 games with the bantam prep team at the Delta, B.C., Hockey Academy.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have signed D Calen Addison, the second overall selection in the WHL’s 2015 bantam draft. Addison, 5-foot-9 and 160 pounds, is from Brandon where he played this season with the bantam AAA Wheat Kings. He had 76 points, including 45 goals, in 31 games.
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D Andy Stevens, a fifth-round pick by the Kootenay Ice in the 2013 bantam draft, has said he will play next season with the BCHL’s Powell River Kings. He played this season with the junior B Campbell River Storm of the Vancouver Island junior league. The Storm won league, provincial and Western Canadian championships. . . . "We're moving ahead without [Stevens] and wish him nothing but the best in Powell River," Ice GM Jeff Chynoweth told Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman. "He's going to stay on our list. Hopefully down the road he looks at it and wants to move up another level. That will be up to him as his career moves along." . . . Rocca’s story is right here.
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Here’s Cathal Kelly, in The Globe and Mail: “While he’s being squired across the continent like a visiting monarch, everyone dropping to their knees as he enters the rink, we’ve all decided Mike Babcock is the best coach in hockey. Not ‘one of’ or ‘arguably.’ Just the best, full-stop. Why is that?” . . . Why, indeed? . . . Kelly’s column is right here.
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In the OHL, the host Erie Otters scored a 4-3 victory over the Oshawa Generals on Monday night. The Generals lead the championship series 2-1 with Game 4 scheduled for Erie on Wednesday night. . . . Erie F Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist. . . . The Otters led it 4-1 before Oshawa made it close with a pair of late goals. . . .

The 2015 U-17 World Hockey Challenge is to be held in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., from Oct. 31 through Nov. 8. The tournament, which last year was held in Sydney, N.S., is to feature three Canadian and five international teams.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Travis Young is the new head coach of the bantam AAA Kings Mutual Wildcats in Berwick, N.S. Young played five WHL seasons (1999-2004) with the Brandon Wheat Kings and Prince Albert Raiders, before going to Acadia U and playing for the Axemen. He cut his career short after three seasons there due to post-concussion syndrome. He went on to spend six seasons as an assistant coach with the Axemen. Last season, the native of Souris, Man., was the head coach of the junior A Bridgewater Lumberjacks of the Maritime Hockey League.
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#Mac T watching #kelowna rockets, #playoffhockey. pic.twitter.com/tl6qkK48xj

— Kro (@Kro9Kro) May 12, 2015

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The wait ends tonight as final opens . . . Draft odds and ends . . . 4OT game in AHL

THURSDAY’S GAME:

No Game Scheduled.
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They will drop the puck to start the WHL championship final tonight in Brandon with the Wheat Kings meeting the Kelowna Rockets.
The winner of the best-of-seven series gets the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
Each of the teams is 12-3 in these playoffs.
The Wheat Kings got past the defending-champion Edmonton Oil Kings, Regina Pats and Calgary Hitmen, each in five games.
The Rockets opened with a sweep of the Tri-City Americans, then took out the Victoria Royals in five games and the Portland Winterhawks in six.
The Wheat Kings will open with Jordan Papirny in goal, while the Rockets are expected to start Jackson Whistle.
It will be interesting to see the scratches.
F Rourke Chartier, with 48 regular-season goals and nine more in the playoffs, missed the Rockets’ last three games, but he practised on Thursday.
Meanwhile, D Kale Clague, F Reid Duke and F Tanner Kaspick, all of whom are regulars with the Wheat Kings, have practised all week after sitting out with undisclosed injuries. Clague and Kaspick missed the last four games of the Eastern Conference final; Duke missed the entire series.
down in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final.
The series is to be played in a 2-3-2 format. Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday in Brandon.
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Some odds and ends, most of which deal with bloodlines, from the WHL’s bantam draft that was held Thursday in Calgary . . .
During the draft, the Everett Silvertips traded F Ivan Nikolishin, 19, to the Red Deer Rebels for a third-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2017. . . . Nikolishin, from Moscow, had 62 points, including 16 goals, in 72 games for Everett this season. Last season, as a freshman, he had 59 points, 18 of them goals, in 72 games. . . . Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald reported that Nikolishin asked for a change of scenery. . . . “He’s very excited about (the) trade and he’s looking forward to playing here,” Brent Sutter, the Rebels’ owner/GM/head coach told Greg Meachem of the Red Deer Advocate. . . . The Rebels are the host team for the 2016 Memorial Cup. . . . Nikolishin’s father, Andrei, is a former NHL defenceman who was with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2002-03 when Sutter’s brother Brian was the head coach. Andrei Nikolishin now is the head coach of the KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk. . . . The Rebels’ roster now includes two imports, the other being Slovakian D/F Mario Grman, 18, who had three assists in 35 games this season. Grman would appear to be in tough, however, as Brent Sutter has told Meachem that he plans on using his first-round selection in the CHL import draft.
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The Rebels also dealt F Connor Gay, 20, to the Saskatoon Blades for a third-round pick in yesterday’s draft. The Rebels had acquired Gay from the Regina Pats in January. Gay, who is from Saskatoon, had 17 points, including 14 assists, in 32 games with the Rebels. With the Pats, he had put up 44 points, including 20 goals, in 39 games. . . . Red Deer’s roster now includes four 20-year-olds — D Kyle Doetzel, F Scott Feser, F Wyatt Johnson and F Presten Kopeck. . . . The Blades also have four 20s on their roster — Gay, D Kolton Dixon, D Isaac Schacher and F Nick Zajac.
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The Calgary Hitmen dealt a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2016 draft to the Everett Silvertips for the rights to F Andrew Fyten. He was a fifth-round selection by Everett in the 2013 bantam draft. Fyten, from Didsbury, Alta., had 44 points, 22 of them goals, with the midget prep team at Edge school in Calgary. . . . If Fyten reports to Everett, Calgary gets the sixth-round pick. Should he play 12 games, it becomes a fifth-rounder.
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In the third round, the Swift Current Broncos took D Ethan Martini of Trail, who played at Edge school in Calgary. He is the son of Darcy, a defence man who was an eighth-round pick by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1989 NHL draft. He played two games with the Oilers in 1993-94. . . .
In the third round, the Victoria Royals took G Dean McNabb, whose brother, Brayden, played with the Kootenay Ice and now is with the Los Angeles Kings. The McNabb boys are from Davidson, Sask. . . .
The Prince George Cougars used a second-round selection to take D Jonas Harkins from the North Shore Winter Club. His father, Todd, is the Cougars’ general manager, while brother Jansen is one of the club’s top forwards. . . .
The Medicine Hat Tigers took F Ryan Chyzowski of Kamloops in the first round. Chyzowski, who missed most of this season with a knee injury, is the younger brother of Nick Chyzowski, who has played two seasons with the Kamloops Blazers. There father, Dave, also played for the Blazers and was the second overall selection — behind F Mats Sundin — in the NHL’s 1989 draft. Dave is the Blazers’ director of sales and marketing. . . .
The Kootenay Ice selected F Keenan Taphorn of Yorkton, Sask., in the second round, 34th overall. . . . His twin brother, Kaeden, went to the Vancouver Giants in the third round, 47th overall. . . . They were born on Jan. 3, 2000. . . . In the sixth round, the Ice took F Benjamin Sanderson of Calgary. His father, Geoff, is a former WHL and NHL forward. . . . In the 11th round, the Ice selected F Austin Wong of Cochrane, Alta.. He is the younger brother of F Yler Wong of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. . . .
F Noah Geekie of Strathclair, Man., was selected by the Calgary Hitmen in the second round. He is the son of D Craig Geekie (Brandon, Spokane, 1990-94). . . . In the ninth round, the Hitmen took F Hunter Lamb of Swift Current. His father, Mark, is the Swift Current Broncos’ GM and head coach. . . .
The Kelowna Rockets took F Nolan Foote of Englewood, Colo, in the second round, 43rd overall. Two years ago, they picked D Callan Foote with the 43rd pick. . . . Their father, Adam, is a former NHL defenceman. . . .  Callan played this season with the U-16 Colorado Thunderbirds. He also played two games with the USHL’s Omaha Lancers. . . .
In the fourth round, the Spokane Chiefs picked F Colum McGauley of Wilcox, Sask. His older brother, Tim, is one of the Brandon Wheat Kings’ top players. . . .
The Everett Silvertips used a fourth-round pick to take F Ryan Savage of Scottsdale, Ariz. His father, Brian, is a former NHLer. . . . Everett took F Dawson Butt of Buckley, Wash., in the sixth round. His father, Jamie, is a former WHLer (Tacoma, Kelowna, 1992-96). . . .
In the fourth round, 71st overall, the Tri-City Americans selected D Liam Belcourt. With the next pick, the Kelowna Rockets took D Konrad Belcourt. The cousins are from Sherwood Park, Alta. . . . The Americans selected F Jack Barnes in the fifth round. His father, Stu, is a former NHLer and WHLer who is part of the Americans’ ownership group. . . . Also in the fifth round, the Americans took F Ryan O’Reilly of Southlake, Texas. His brother, Brendan, is a defence man with the Americans. . . . In the third round, the Americans picked D Seth Bafaro of Revelstoke, B.C. His father, Mike, was a forward with the New Westminster Bruins for parts of three WHL seasons (1984-87). . . .
The Moose Jaw Warriors took D Jett Woo of Winnipeg with the fourth pick of the first round. His father, Larry, is a former WHL defence man (Victoria Cougars, Swift Current, 1989-91). . . . The Warriors selected F Kale Clouston of Rockyview, Alta. He is a nephew of Shaun Clouston, the Medicine Hat Tigers’ GM and head coach, and former WHL coach Cory Clouston. Kale’s cousin, Connor, is a Warriors defence man. . . . Later in the day, the Warriors acquired F Rylee Zimmer, 18, from the Regina Pats for a conditional 10th-round pick in the 2016 draft. Zimmer was pointless in 44 games with the Pats in 2013-14. This season, he had one goal in five games with Regina, but spent most of the season with the MJHL’s Waywayseecappo Wolverines, earning 36 points, 10 of them goals, in 34 games. . . .
F Lukas Sillinger was selected by the Regina Pats in the sixth round. Sillinger is from Regina and is the son of ex-NHLer Mike Sillinger, who was one of the Pats’ best-ever forwards. . . . Mike is working for the Pats as a consultant. . . . In the 10th round, the Pats took G Max Paddock of Brandon. The 5-foot-9, 113-pounder is a nephew of Pats head coach John Paddock. Max’s father, Russ, is 6-foot-7 and played for the Canadian men’s volleyball team. . . . Earlier, in the seventh round, Regina selected D Jack Lenchyshyn of Steinbach, Man. No, he isn’t related to Regina F Jake Leschyshyn. . . .
The Seattle Thunderbirds used an eighth-round pick to take F Chase Sakic of Eaglewood, Colo. His father, Joe, is a former WHL who went on to a Hall-of-Fame NHL career.
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By the time the WHL’s 22 teams were done, they had combined to select 231 players — 19 goaltenders, 85 defencemen and 127 forwards. All told, 72 players were taken from Alberta, 60 from B.C., 36 from Manitoba, 33 from Saskatoon and 30 from the U.S.
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For an in-depth look at the draft, including more numbers than you will be able to digest, get on over to Small Thoughts at Large. He goes round-by-round with stats on the draft picks. . . . The WHL needs to make it worth Alan Caldwell’s while to take a vacation day from work and handle statistics on draft day. What a treat it would be to have names and numbers appear on a pick-by-pick basis as part of the draft coverage.
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On Wednesday, Kelly McCrimmon, the owner, general manager and head coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings, was honoured for the third time as the WHL’s executive of the year. He is the only three-time winner of the award. . . . If you haven’t already seen it, I profiled McCrimmon for The Coaches Site and that story is right here.
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In the AHL, the visiting Oklahoma City Barons and Utica Comets opened a second-round series last night by playing into the fourth OT period. . . . F Curtis Hamilton, the son of Kelowna Rockets’ owner/GM Bruce Hamilton, gave the Barons a 2-1 victory with his first goal of the playoffs at 0:16 of the fourth extra period. . . . The online scoresheet is right here. . . . They’ll play Game 2 tonight in Utica.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Former NHLer Trent Klatt is the new head coach at Grand Rapids, Minn., High School. Before turning pro, Klatt played four seasons at the U of Minnesota. He retired as a player after the 2003-04 season. . . . Klatt has coached minor hockey in Grand Rapids in recent years. . . . With the Thunderhawks, he replaces John Rothstein, who resigned after two seasons. . . . Klatt has been scouting for the NHL's New York Islanders, but he will leave that position effective July 1.
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To all the kids who didn't get drafted in the WHL: I didn't get drafted and look where i ended up. Construction worker and Jr B lifer #goals

— Cooper Holick (@Coop_Holick) May 7, 2015

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.

Wheaties rout Hitmen . . . Calgary coach tossed . . . Rockets come back for victory

F Jason Bast (Moose Jaw, 2005-10) has signed a one-year contract with Visp (Switzerland, NL B). This season, with the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL), he had 30 goals and 22 assists in 52 games. He also saw some AHL action, going pointless in two games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and earning one assist in four games with the Charlotte Checkers (AHL).
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:

pic.twitter.com/IRlGwjhqX6
— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) April 25, 2015

In Brandon, the Wheat Kings broke a 2-2 tie with three straight second-period goals en route to a 9-4 victory over the Calgary
Hitmen. . . . The Wheat Kings lead the series 1-0 with Game 2 in Brandon tonight. . . . The Wheat Kings set a single-game high for goals by a team in these playoffs. Calgary and the Portland Winterhawks each have had an eight-goal game this spring. . . . Calgary F Adam Tambellini needed help leaving the ice after going hard into the end boards with the score 2-2 in the second period. He missed a few shifts and while he was gone the Wheat Kings scored three times. . . . F Peter Quenneville scored his fifth playoff

goal on a PP at 9:02, with F Braylon Shmyr adding his first of two goals at 12:17 and F Nolan Patrick getting his fifth at 12:39. . . . Shmyr just happens to be from Calgary. . . . The Wheat Kings, who had the game’s first six shots, had taken an early 2-0 first-period lead as F Jayce Hawryluk, who had missed the previous three games, scored his sixth goal and set up F John Quenneville for his fifth, via the PP. . . . The Hitmen tied it on goals from F Pavel Kamaukhov, his fourth, at 17:34 of the first and F Beck Malenstyn, his first, at 5:26 of the second. . . . John Quenneville finished with two goals and three assists, giving him 14 points in 11 games. D Eric Roy and F Rihards Bukarts, the latter having returned after a three-game absence, each had three assists. . . . Brandon F Tim McGauley scored his fifth goal and added two assists. . . . Shmyr’s goals were his first of the playoffs. . . . Brandon D Reid Gow added two assists. . . . Brandon was 3-for-9 on the PP; Calgary was 1-for-6. . . . Calgary F Chase Lang, who missed the last three games of the second round, left in the third period with an apparent right leg injury after Brandon F Duncan Campbell fell on him. . . . Hawryluk left the game late in the second period after blocking a shot by Calgary D Travis Sanheim. Hawryluk returned early in the third period. . . . Brandon D Kale Clague didn’t come out of the dressing room to start the second period, while F Tanner Kaspick didn’t finish the game, either. . . . Calgary G Mack Shields, who surrendered four goals on 19 shots, wasn’t on the Hitmen bench in the third period. . . . G Brendan Burke came on to give up five goals on 22 shots. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny turned aside 34 shots. . . . F Reid Duke was among the Wheat Kings’ scratches, while F Connor Rankin, a 20-year-old with nine goals in these playoffs, didn’t play for the Hitmen. . . . Brandon D Colton Waltz returned after missing the last three second-round games. . . . Calgary took 46 of the game’s 76 penalty minutes. . . . The referees were Adam Byblow and Chris Crich. . . .

Hitmen coach Mark French is headed to the room, but not before a stick slam and toss.
— Robert Henderson (@HendoRob) April 25, 2015

Ch-ch-ching! Calgary head coach Mark French was ejected in the third period after banging on the boards with a stick and then tossing a stick onto the ice. . . . Brandon head coach Kelly McCrimmon has won 61 playoff games, moving him into a tie for ninth with Dean Clark on the all-time list. Don Hay is No. 1, with 103. . . . Attendance was 5,028. . . . Shaw TV is televising this series in its entirety.
Laurence Heinen wrote this game story for the Calgary Herald.

In Kelowna, the Rockets erased a 2-0 deficit with two goals 46 seconds apart in the second period and went on to beat the Portland Winterhawks, 3-2. . . . They’ll play Game 2 tonight in Kelowna. . . . The Rockets took their first lead when F Rourke Chartier got his eighth goal at 15:56 of the second period.

He hit the cross-bar on a breakaway, with the puck then bouncing in off G Adin Hill. . . . Portland F Oliver Bjorkstrand opened the scoring on Portland’s first shot of the game, 35 seconds in. It was his WHL-leading 11th goal of these playoffs. . . . D Adam Henry upped the lead to 2-0 at 18:00 with his fourth goal. . . . Kelowna D Madison Bowey got his fifth goal, shorthanded, at 1:38 of the second and F Justin Kirkland, with his first, tied it at 2:24. Kirkland was playing only his second game of these playoffs. . . . Kelowna G Jackson Whistle stopped 30 shots, 13 fewer than Hill. . . . Each team was 0-for-2 on the PP. . . . The referees were Matt Kirk and Chris Schlenker. . . . The NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, who placed Draisaitl with the Rockets in January, were well-represented with Bob Nicholson, Peter Chiarelli, Craig MacTavish and Kevin Lowe all on hand. . . . Draisaitl had one assist, on Kirkland’s goal. . . . Portland F Nic Petan had one assist as he ran his point streak to 12 games. Petan played in his 83rd career playoff game. That is two shy of D Derrick Pouliot’s franchise record (2010-14). The WHL record his held by F Shay Stephenson, who played in 87 playoff games with the Red Deer Rebels (2000-04). . . . Bjorkstrand scored his 35th career playoff goal, moving into No. 2 in franchise history. He passed F Brendan Leipsic and trails only F Ty Rattie, who had 50. . . . The Winterhawks now have lost Game 1 of all three of their playoff series this spring. . . . Portland freelancer Scott Sepich notes that “since 2011, the Winterhawks are 8-0 in Game 2s after losing Game 1.” . . . Attendance was 5,871; a sellout is 6,007. . . . It will be interesting to see what tonight’s attendance is as this game will be up against Game 6 between the Vancouver Canucks and host Calgary Flames. . . . Larry Fisher of the Kelowna Daily Courier has a game story right here.
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The Portland Winterhawks have signed D Conor MacEachern, a list player who spent this season with the Cariboo Cougars of the British Columbia Major Midget Hockey League. The 6-foot-3, 175-pounder had 17 points, including four goals, in 33 games with the Cougars. They won the prestigious Mac’s Tournament in Calgary and he was named the top defenceman. . . . MacEachern, who will turn 17 on Aug. 12, is from Charlottetown, P.E.I. The Winterhawks placed him on their protected list in December.
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Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald takes a look at the offseason that awaits the Everett Silvertips and how much depends on a decision yet to be made by F Auston Matthews, who is in the U.S. National Team Development Program. . . . That piece is right here.
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In the OHL, F Connor McDavid had two goals and two assists, leading the Erie Otters to a 6-3 victory over the host Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. The Western Conference final is 1-1. . . . McDavid had scored three times in a 6-3 loss on Thursday. . . . McDavid has 30 points, 16 of them goals, in 11 playoff games. . . . They’ll play again Sunday, this time in Erie, and the game will be televised by Sportsnet. . . . In the Eastern Conference final, the North Bay Battalion went into Oshawa and beat the Generals, 6-1, in the opener. They’ll play again Sunday in Oshawa.
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In the QMJHL, the host Rimouski Oceanic beat the Val-d’Or Foreurs 4-3 in overtime in Game 1 of their semifinal. They’ll play again today in Rimouski. Last night, F Anthony DeLuca won it with his third goal of the game, and sixth of the playoffs, on a PP, at 1:50 of OT. DeLuca had forced OT with a goal at 18:55 of the third period. . . . In the other semifinal, the visiting Quebec Remparts beat the Moncton Wildcats 4-1 on Thursday night. Game 2 is scheduled for today in Moncton.
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Former WHL G Andy Desautels (Everett, Prince Albert, 2010-13), who has played out his junior eligibility, will attend the U of Regina and play for the Cougars. Desautels is from White City, Sask., which is just east of Regina. He was a fifth-round selection by the Everett Silvertips in the 2009 bantam draft. He played the last two seasons with the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors.
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The @CoachStanButler on @OHLBattalion fans: "We call them the 7th Man. They never take a shift off, unlike some of our guys." #OHLplayoffs
— Neate Sager (@neatebuzzthenet) April 25, 2015

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much.