THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Tomas Hricina (Regina, 2008-10) signed a two-year (plus option) contract with Banska Bystrica (Slovakia, Extraliga) after a successful tryout. He had three assists in 19 games with Kosice (Slovakia, Extraliga) and five goals and 10 assists in 23 games on loan to Bardejov (Slovakia, 1.Liga) last season.
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JUST NOTES: G Jonny Hogue of Lethbridge will experience something of a dream come true when he skates onto the ice at the Hurricanes’ camp. Hogue, an eighth-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft, is a former Hurricanes’ stick boy. . . . D Ryan Aasman is coming home. Aasman, 19, who has played with the Prince Albert Raiders, Seattle Thunderbirds and Swift Current Broncos, is going to camp with his hometown Medicine Hat Tigers. Aasman was selected by the Raiders with the eighth overall pick of the 2007 bantam draft. He was dropped by the Broncos after last season. . . . D Justin Slobozian, 19, who spent part of three seasons (2007-10) with the Regina Pats, has been acquired by the MJHL’s Portage Terriers from the Thunder Bay North Stars of the Superior International junior league. Slobozian split last season between the MJHL’s Neepawa Natives and the North Stars. . . . The 2011 Western Canada U-16 Challenge Cup will be played at Mosaic Place in Moose Jaw, Oct. 27-30.  This tournament features the highest-rated U-16 players in the four western provinces. . . . Don Nachbaur, the head coach of the Spokane Chiefs, will go into this regular season with 479 regular-season coaching victories. . . . F Brody Luhning, 19, who has played with the Swift Current Broncos and Calgary Hitmen, will go to camp with the Regina Pats. He spent most of last season with the SJHL’s Battlefords North Stars. He is from Lumsden, Sask., which is a couple of slapshots north of Regina. . . . Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reports that “The Pats are believed to be close to signing their top two picks from the 2011 WHL bantam draft: C Adam Brooks (second round, 25th overall) and RW Dane Schioler (second round, 36th overall). An announcement could come as early as today.” . . . Latvian D Kristaps Bazevics and Norwegian F Jonas Knutsen, the Prince Albert Raiders’ two selections in the 2011 import draft, have arrived and will take part in training camp. . . . A couple of notes from Jeff Bromley, whose blog, Ice Chips, is linked to over there on the right. He notes that the Kootenay Ice, the WHL’s defending champion, has sold more than 2,100 season tickets. “We sold 328 new season tickets, by far the most in the last number of years,” Ice president/GM Jeff Chynoweth told him. “It’s a great base and it’s going to help get the average attendance up.” . . . Bromley also reports that Kootenay F Brock Montgomery had sports hernia surgery earlier this month and won’t be back on the ice until some time in October. . . . It’s interesting that F Daniel Nachbaur, 16, will be in rookie camp with the Tri-City Americans. Daniel, who played last season in the EDGE program in Calgary, is the son of former Americans head coach Don Nachbaur, who now is the head coach of the Spokane Chiefs. . . . It’s also interesting that Tri-City’s rookie camp roster includes 19 players who are from the U.S.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Jason Christie (Saskatoon, 1986-90) has signed on as head coach of the ECHL’s Ontario Reign. That means the Central league’s Bloomington Blaze is in the market for a new head coach. Christie was the Central league’s coach of the year last season with the Bloomington PrairieThunder. He signed with the Blaze as July 13. . . .
The OHL’s Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors have added Kelly Harper to their staff as assistant GM/assistant coach, while former NHLer Brad May has signed on as an assistant coach. They will work alongside GM/head coach James Boyd, who took over from Dave Cameron when the latter joined the NHL’s Ottawa Senators as an assistant coach. Harper had been on the coaching staff of the Brampton Battalion since 2003. . . .
Former Seattle Thunderbirds assistant coach Turner Stevenson has joined the NAHL’s Wenatchee Wild as an assistant coach. He will work with head coach John Becanic, who spent a season on Seattle’s staff. Becanic is into his first full season as the Wild’s head coach. He took midway through last season.
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A WHL player has pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving causing death. He pleaded guilty through his lawyer on Tuesday in provincial court in Cochane, Alta. Sentencing arguments will be held on Nov. 17. There is more right here.
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It’s called BioSteel and you’re going to be hearing a lot about it in the immediate future. What is BioSteel? It is the latest, and some hockey players say the best, in high-performance energy drinks. James Mirtle of The Globe and Mail has more right here.
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TWEET OF THE DAY . . .
From Regan Bartel, the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets: “Is this a sign of tough economic times? 350 Rockets season tickets have been released to the public. Wow. This hasn't happened in years.”

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
     
Taking Note on Twitter

Ch-ch-ching time after Calgary at Spokane game

The Seattle Thunderbirds have dealt D Ryan Aasman, 18, to the Swift Current Broncos for a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. The Prince Albert Raiders selected Aasman, who is from Medicine Hat, with the eighth pick of the 2007 bantam draft. They dealt him to Seattle last season for F Jonathan Parker. . . . Aasman was pointless in eight games with Seattle this season. In 167 career games, he has 14 points, including two goals, and 68 penalty minutes. . . . The Thunderbirds were carrying nine defencemen at the time of the deal.
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F Colton Orr of the Toronto Maple Leafs and F Derek Boogaard of the New York Rangers both played in the WHL and now, of course, are enforcers in the NHL. However, they have never fought each other. James Mirtle of The Globe and Mail looks at both men as the teams prepare to play tonight.
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Canada’s national junior team will play warmup games in three Ontario cities prior to the 2011 World Junior Championship in Buffalo. Canada will play Switzerland in Oshawa on Dec. 20, Sweden in Toronto on Dec. 21 and Finland in Kitchener on Dec. 23. . . . The 2011 Alberta Cup is to be played in Lethbridge, at the Nicholas Sheran Arena, April 13-17. According to a press release: “The Alberta Cup is the premier hockey event in the province that helps identify the top male bantam-aged players from each zone in Alberta.” . . . Leigh Mendelson, who was an assistant coach with the Spokane Chiefs (2008-09), has signed on as an assistant coach with the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies. Last season, he served as an assistant coach -- an 16 games as interim head coach -- with the AHL’s Norfolk Admirals. . . . Congratulations to Bill Whitehead of Roland, Man., who will be one of the 2011 inductees into the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame. A longtime player with the junior and senior Carman Goldeyes, Whitehead now is the reeve for the RM of Roland. He also is vice-president of Hockey Manitoba. Whitehead played for the MJHL’s Selkirk Steeler when they won the Centennial Cup, then the trophy for the national junior A championship, in 1974. . . . The ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings have signed F Gabe Gauthier, who has spent the last four seasons with the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs. Gauthier, 26, was selected by the Saskatoon Blades with the 12th overall pick of the 2000 bantam draft but took the NCAA route (Denver) and won two championships. It looked as though he would spend this season playing with Bolzano, Italy, before he signed with Victoria.
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WEDNESDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (four road teams wins and a line brawl -- ch-ch-ching):
MEDICINE HAT 3 at MOOSE JAW 2 (SO): F Linden Vey scored the only goal of the six-shooter shootout. . . . The Tigers (5-3-0) got the game’s first goal, when F Emerson Etem got his fourth at 10:52 of the first period, and the teams alternated goals after that. . . . F Nathan MacMaster got his fourth for the Warriors (4-7-1), on the PP, at 17:21. . . . D Thomas Carr put the Tigers ahead, on the PP, at 15:42 of the second period. . . . Moose Jaw F Quinton Howden, on the PP, forced OT with his sixth goal of the season at 19:50 of the third period. . . . The Warriors had won their last two games. . . . The Tigers now have won three straight. . . . Medicine Hat was 1-for-3 on the PP; the Warriors were 2-for-5. . . . Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 31 shots, while Moose Jaw’s Thomas Heemskerk stopped 23. . . Attendance was 2,527. . . . Checking-from-behind count: Zero.
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LETHBRIDGE 4 at REGINA 3 (SO): F Graham Hood scored the only goal of the five-shooter shootout as the Hurricanes (4-4-2) snapped a three-game losing streak. . . . Lethbridge acquired Hood from Regina in a deal last season. . . . The Pats (2-7-2) got the game’s first goal, with F Andrew Rieder getting his second at 12:00 of the first period, and the team’s alternated goals after that. . . . Lethbridge F Mitch Maxwell, with his third, tied it 3-3 at 7:56 of the third period. . . . Regina G Damien Ketlo made 40 saves, while Lethbridge’s Brandon Anderson turned aside 30 shots. . . . Lethbridge was 1-for-3 on the PP; Regina was 1-for 6. . . . Attendance was 3,102. . . . The Hurricanes were without F Austin Fyten (foot, 4-6 weeks) and F Brody Sutter (shoulder, 2-3 weeks). . . . Checking-from-behind count: One minor, to Lethbridge D Derek Ryckman.
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KAMLOOPS 1 at RED DEER 0: The Blazers won it on F Brendan Ranford’s 11th goal of the season and a 39-save effort from G Jeff Bosch. . . . Ranford, who has 14 points on an eight-game point streak, scored on the PP at 14:38 of the third period. . . . Bosch earned his first shutout of the season and ninth of his career. . . . Kamloops (5-6-1) opened a three-game swing into the Central Division. It had given up 21 goals in losing its last three games, all at home. . . . Kamloops, with the WHL’s worst penalty-killing record, gave up the game’s first six power plays but didn’t surrender a goal. . . . Red Deer G Bolton Pouliot turned aside 22 shots. Pouliot, 16, was making his second WHL start but it was his first decision. . . . Red Deer finished 0-for-9 on the PP; Kamloops was 1-for-5. . . . It was the fifth time in franchise history that Kamloops won by a 1-0 score, the first since March 8, 2008, when G James Priestner stopped 35 shots in a victory over the host Prince George Cougars. Priestner, of course, now plays for the Cougars. . . . Red Deer (7-4-0) had won five of its last six games. . . . This was the first time since opening night that the Blazers had allowed fewer than three goals in a game. . . . Former WHL star Mike Moller, providing analysis alongside veteran play-by-play man Cam Moon on 106.5 The Drive, sounds like he really enjoys himself. Moon is a big, big, big baseball fan so I’m thinking he had mlb.com up on his laptop. . . . Attendance was 3,914. . . . Checking-from-behind count: One minor, to Kamloops D Linden Saip.
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BRANDON 3 at PRINCE GEORGE 5: F Nick Buonassisi continued his fine start with three assists to lead the Cougars (6-4-1) to what was victory No. 400 for head coach Dean Clark. He has coached in Calgary, Brandon, Kamloops and Prince George. . . . Buonassisi, 18, has 13 points in 10 games after putting up 31 in 60 games last season. . . . F Brett Connolly scored twice for the Cougars, who have won three in a row. He has 11 on the season. . . . Connolly got the game’s first goal, at 4:24 of the first period, but Brandon (4-7-0) came out with a 2-1 lead on goals from F Brenden Walker, his fifth, and F Paul Ciarelli, his third. . . . The Cougars struck for three second period goals, including F Greg Fraser’s first. . . . Prince George D Sena Acolatse, the CHL’s reigning player of the week, had two assists, as did F Taylor Stefishen. . . . The Wheat Kings have lost seven in a row after opening the season with four straight victories. . . . Cougars G James Priestner, the game’s first star, stopped 31 shots. . . . Brandon G Liam Liston stopped 33 shots. . . . Brandon was 0-for-4 on the PP; the Cougars were 0-for-5. . . . Attendance was 1,797. . . . Checking-from-behind count: Zero.
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EVERETT 0 at PORTLAND 2: G Mac Carruth stopped 22 shots for the shutout. . . . It was his first shutout this season and the second of his career. He also blanked Everett last season. . . . The Winterhawks (9-2-1) were 2-for-7 on the PP, getting second-period goals from F Teal Burns, his first WHL goal, at 7:30 and F Sven Bartschi, his ninth, at 16:29. . . . Portland enjoyed six second-period power plays. . . . Everett (5-3-2) was 0-for-3 on the PP. . . . Bartschi has 13 points on a six-game point streak. Linemate Ty Rattie had one assist and now has 14 points on a six-game point streak. . . . Rattie is third in the scoring derby, with 22 points, three more than Bartschi. . . . Everett G Kent Simpson stopped 36 shots. . . . Portland had a 14-5 edge in second-period shots and 10-4 in the third. . . . Attendance was 1,666. . . . Checking-from-behind count: One minor, to Everett D Ryan Murray. . . . Associate coach Jay Varady ran the Everett bench for the first time in the absence of head coach Craig Hartsburg, who underwent a surgical procedure on Wednesday.
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VANCOUVER 7 at KELOWNA 5: The Giants gave up five straight goals and then scored five in a row to win it. . . . Vancouver (6-5-2), which had lost three straight, opened a 2-0 lead before the game was three minutes old. . . . The Rockets (3-7-0), who are 1-5 at home, scored five times in a span of 4:43 early in the second period to seemingly take control. . . . But the Giants got the game’s last five goals, including three from F Brendan Gallagher, who now has 13. He also had an assist. . . . Vancouver C Craig Cunningham, the WHL’s leading scorer, had five assists. He has 27 points in 13 games. . . . Gallagher is second, with 23 points. . . . Vancouver D Neil Manning had a goal and two assists. . . . F Spencer Main scored twice for Kelowna, while F Shane McColgan and F Mitchell Callahan each had a goal and two helpers. . . . D Tyson Barrie (hamstring) was in Kelowna’s lineup for the first time since Oct. 8. . . . Both teams used two goaltenders. . . . Vancouver’s Mark Segal stopped 16 of 21 shots before Brendan Jensen came on to stop all 21 shots he faced. . . . Kelowna’s Jordan Cooke stopped 18 of 24 shots, with Adam Brown coming in late and stopping five shots. . . . Vancouver was 3-for-4 on the PP; Kelowna was 0-for-3. . . . Attendance was 6,077. . . . Checking-from-behind count: One minor, to Vancouver D Tyler Hart.
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CALGARY 1 at SPOKANE 8: F Blake Gal scored three goals in a game that included 110 penalty minutes, 56 of them to the Hitmen. Yes, there was a line brawl. Ch-ch-ching! . . . Spokane F Darren Kramer, who scored his second goal of the season, was involved in three fights, including one in a line brawl late in the third period. Gotta think there will be some adjustments to the online scoresheet because it doesn’t show Kramer with a game misconduct. . . . Fines and suspension to follow. . . . Gal, who has eight goals, completed his first career hat trick at 3:59 of the second period. . . . The Chiefs improved to 4-5-0. . . . F Kenton Miller had two goals and an assist for the Chiefs, with F Tyler Johnson drawing three assists. D Brendon Kichton and Jared Cowen each had two assists. . . . Spokane D Tanner Mort only had one assist but was plus-4. . . . Calgary (4-6-0) went 2-3 on its swing into the U.S. Division. . . . F Misha Fisenko scored Calgary’s goal, his second, on a first-period PP. . . . Calgary was 1-for-3 on the PP; Spokane was 2-for-8. . . . Attendance was 3,657. . . . Checking-from-behind count: Zero.
 
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Taking Note on Twitter