Blazers d-man gets pro deal . . . Wheaties add blueliner. . . . Ex-Everett coach to run U.S. squad

D Stefan Elliott (Saskatoon, 2006-11) has signed a one-year contract with Ak Bars Kazan (Russia, KHL). Last season, with the Arizona Coyotes (NHL), he had two goals and four assists in 19 games. He also was pointless in two games with the Nashville Predators (NHL), and he had eight goals and 11 assists in 35 games with the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL). . . .

F Cam Reed (Portland, 2011-12) has been released by Ravensburg Towerstars (Germany, DEL2). He had a goal and two assists in four games. . . .

F Petr Kalus (Regina, 2005-06) has been released by Orli Znojmo (Czech Republic, Erste Bank Liga). He was pointless in three games.

-———

“A group of former players suing the Canadian Hockey League (is) asking a Calgary judge to order 42 major junior teams to turn over their tax returns and financial statements dating back to 2011 to establish whether those franchises are profitable or lose money,” reports Rick Westhead of TSN. “The players are also asking an Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench judge to order Western Hockey League commissioner Ron Robison and Ontario Hockey League commissioner David Branch to produce all of their leagues’ revenue-sharing agreements.

“Robison and Branch have testified that one third of the teams in the WHL and one third of the teams in the OHL lose money each season. Neither Branch nor a WHL spokesman responded to an email requesting comment.”

Westhead’s story is right here.

——

D Ondrej Vala of the Kamloops Blazers has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s

Dallas Stars. Vala, a free-agent, played for the Stars entry at the Traverse City, Mich., prospects tournament. . . . The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Vala, 18, is from Kolin, Czech Republic. Last season, as a WHL freshman, he had 21 points, four of them goals, in 72 games. This season, he is pointless in two games. . . . A lot of NHL scouts showed up in Kamloops early last season to watch Vala and were disappointed in his play as he really struggled. Perhaps it was the culture shock, because he really picked up his play after Christmas when he appeared to be much more comfortable. Still, he wasn’t drafted and ended up in the camp of the Stars, whose owner, Tom Gaglardi, is the majority owner of the Blazers.

——

The Brandon Wheat Kings of recent vintage never have been shy about having players from southwestern Manitoba on their roster. They added another one on Thursday when they sent a conditional fifth-round selection in the 2018 bantam draft to the Red Deer Rebels for D Zach Wytinck, 17. He was listed by the Rebels in 2015. . . . The 5-foot-11, 165-pound Wytinck, who has been playing with the midget AAA Southwest Cougars, is from Glenboro, which is about six slapshots south east of Brandon. Last season, he had 27 points, including six goals, in 44 games with the Cougars. . . . Wytinck is expected to skate with the Wheat Kings today (Friday). They are at home to the Rebels on Saturday night and the Swift Current Broncos on Sunday afternoon. . . . Brandon’s roster, which now sits at 24, includes eight players from Brandon and area, and five others from Winnipeg.

——

The Saskatoon Blades have dropped D Payton McIsaac, 16, from their roster. The move was made after D Libor Hajek returned from the camp of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. . . . A second-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft, McIsaac had one assist in five exhibition games. He will return to the midget AAA Fort Saskatchewan Rangers. . . . The Blades’ roster now is at 24, including two goaltenders and seven defencemen. . . . Saskatoon visits the Medicine Hat Tigers on Friday and the Kootenay Ice on Saturday. The Blades continue to play without injured forwards Cam Hebig and F Ryan Graham.

——

The Prince George Cougars trimmed two players off their roster on Thursday. . . . G Tavin Grant, 18, will be joining the BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings, while F Reid Perepeluk, 16, is off to the Prince George-based Cariboo Cougars of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. . . . The Spruce Kings, who acquired Grant’s rights from the junior B Kamloops Storm, made room for him by dealing G Liam McCloskey, 18, to the AJHL’s Whitecourt Wolverines. . . . The Cougars’ roster now is at 30 players, including two goaltenders and 11 defencemen. . . . The Cougars, at least for now, will go with Ty Edmonds, 20, and Nick McBride, 19, as their goaltenders. However, Edmonds is one of four 20-year-olds on the roster and that’s one over the maximum, so there will be movement there before Oct. 15.

——

#Rebelshockey now with three first name Austin's and three last name Martin's on their roster

— Troy Gillard (@Troy_Gillard) September 30, 2016

The Red Deer Rebels have acquired F Dawson Martin, 18, from the Calgary Hitmen for a sixth-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft. Martin, from Winnipeg, had two goals and nine assists in 60 games as a freshman last season. This season, he has one assist in two games. . . . The 5-foot-11, 160-pound Martin was a second-round pick by the Hitmen in the 2013 draft.

——

Among the players returned by NHL teams to the WHL on Thursday . . .

Calgary Hitmen — F Beck Malenstyn, Washington Capitals.

Kamloops Blazers — F Garrett Pilon, Washington Capitals.

Kelowna Rockets — D Lucas Johansen, Washington Capitals.

Moose Jaw Warriors — D Dmitri Zaitsev, Washington Capitals.

Regina Pats — D Connor Hobbs, Washington Capitals; F Sam Steel, Anaheim Ducks.

Tri-City Americans — D Parker Wotherspoon, New York Islanders.

Victoria Royals — F Tyler Soy, Anaheim Ducks.

——

By my count, and it’s strictly unofficial, these are the WHL players still in NHL camps as of Thursday evening, not including 20-year-olds:

Brandon Wheat Kings — D Ivan Provorov, Philadelphia Flyers.

Calgary Hitmen — D Jake Bean, Carolina Hurricanes; F Matteo Gennaro, Winnipeg Jets; F Jordy Stallard, Winnipeg Jets.

Everett Silvertips — D Noah Juulsen, Montreal Canadiens.

Kelowna Rockets — F Nick Merkley, Arizona Coyotes.

Lethbridge Hurricanes — F Giorgio Estephan, Buffalo Sabres.

Prince Albert Raiders — D Brendan Guhle, Buffalo Sabres.

Prince George Cougars — F Jesse Gabrielle, Boston Bruins; F Jansen Harkins, Winnipeg Jets.

Red Deer Rebels — F Michael Spacek, Winnipeg Jets.

Regina Pats — F Austin Wagner, Los Angeles Kings.

Seattle Thunderbirds — F Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders; F Keegan Kolesar, Columbus Blue Jackets. (Kolesar will miss about six weeks after undergoing surgery for a supraumbilical hernia this week.)

Swift Current Broncos — F Colby Sissons, New Jersey Devils.

Vancouver Giants — F Tyler Benson, Edmonton Oilers.

Victoria Royals — D Chaz Reddekopp, Los Angeles Kings.

——

D Connor Hobbs has been returned to the Regina Pats by the NHL’s Washington Capitals. Apparently, he is OK after taking a hard hit from behind from F Andrew Shaw of the Montreal Canadiens in an exhibition game on Tuesday night. The NHL slapped Shaw with a three-game suspension on Thursday. Yes, he will miss three exhibition games. Because they are exhibition games, he won’t even lose any money. . . . Stop laughing!

———

JUST NOTES:

The Calgary Hitmen have their roster down to 26 after releasing F Brayden 

Brown, 19, and F Bryce Platt, 18. . . . Brown, from Calgary, was pointless in two games with the Hitmen. He had eight points, including five goals, with the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2014-15. Last season, he played three games with the Oil Kings and 12 with the AJHL’s Calgary Canucks. . . . Platt is form Regina. He had seven points, four of them goals, in 34 games with the Hitmen last season. This season, he had one assist in two games. . . . 

F Reid Gardiner, who is eligible to return the the Prince Albert Raiders for his 20-year-old season, has been in camp with the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins. On Thursday, he was sent to their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. . . .

F Brett Howden, just back from the camp of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, has been named captain of the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . 

F Matt Campese, who was released last week by the Kamloops Blazers, will play for the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors. Campese, who turns 19 on Dec. 10, had 10 goals and six assists in 95 regular-season WHL games, 79 with Kamloops and 16 with the Victoria Royals. . . .

The Everett Silvertips have released D Gianni Fairbrother from their roster and he will play for the Vancouver-Northwest Giants of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League. Fairbrother, who turns 16 on Sept. 30, was the CSSHL Elite 15’s top defenceman last season while with the Burnaby Winter Club. He got into three playoff games with the Silvertips last season. He was a fourth-round selection in the 2015 bantam draft. . . . 

F Jaeger White, 18, has joined the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits. White, who is from Medicine Hat, had been released by the Brandon Wheat Kings. In 84 regular-season WHL games — he also played with the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Everett Silvertips — he had five goals and 15 assists.

——

Got a tip or some information you feel could be useful to me, feel free to email me at greggdrinnan@gmail.com.

———

Jay Varady, a former coach with the Everett Silvertips, has been named head coach of the U.S. Junior Selects, a team that will compete in the 2016 World Junior A Challenge in Bonnyville, Alta., Dec. 11-17. . . . Varady, from Cahokia, Ill., is in his fourth season as the head coach of the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers. He was the head coach of the U.S. team that won the 2014 World Junior A Challenge. He was with the Everett Silvertips for eight seasons (2003-11), serving as an assistant coach, associate coach and interim head coach during his time there. . . . Chris Hartsburg, the head coach of the USHL’s Lincoln Stars, will be one of Varady’s assistant coaches. He spent four seasons (2009-12) as an assistant coach in Everett.

———

You can tell that a lot of Eskimos players ate at the Keg tonight in Winnipeg. They are out of prime rib. (Again)

— Morley Scott (@Morley_Scott) September 30, 2016

———

THURSDAY’S GAMES:

No Games Scheduled.

——

Glen Hanlon tells me that Ty Ronning is back from training camp while Alec Baer & Thomas Foster are slated to play tomorrow too. @WHLGiants

— Brendan Batchelor (@Batchelor1040) September 30, 2016

FRIDAY GAMES (all times local):

Kootenay at Lethbridge, 7 p.m.

Saskatoon at Medicine Hat, 7:30 p.m.

Red Deer at Moose Jaw, 7 p.m.

Kelowna at Prince George, 7 p.m.

Everett at Portland, 7 p.m.

Swift Current at Prince Albert, 7 p.m.

Edmonton at Regina, 7 p.m.

Seattle vs. Vancouver, at Langley, B.C., 7:30 p.m.

Kamloops at Victoria, 7:05 p.m.

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.

Tri-City forward Justin Feser unleashes a shot in the direction of Regina
goaltender Matt Hewitt on Saturday night in Kennewick, Wash.
The Americans won the game, 6-1.
(Photo courtesy Doug Love / Tri-City Americans)

F Jesse Mychan of the Everett Silvertips had his junior A rights dealt from the Flin Flon Bombers to the Kindersley Klippers in an SJHL trade that was put together late Friday. . . . The Klippers acquired Mychan, 19, F Connor Gay, 16, and cash in exchange for F Jesse Mysiorek, 20. . . . Mychan, who played the last two seasons in Flin Flon, is serving a 10-game suspension. It is his third suspension this season; he earlier sat out a pair of two-game sentences. . . . Earlier, the Klippers picked up G Brandon Stone, 18, from the Estevan Bruins for future considerations. Stone got into 15 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors last season and started this season there, although he was gone before getting into any games. . . .
If you missed it, and if you like reading good rants, you should skip over to Regan Bartel’s blog and the entry titled ‘One call proves costly.’ . . . Bartel, the radio voice of the Kelowna Rockets, didn’t like the performance turned in by a referee on Friday night. . . . I guess that’s why Bartel calls his blog Regan’s Rant. . . . There is a link over there on the right, and I’m thinking that Bartel’s name has been stroked off the Christmas card list by every zebra in the world . . .
If you are looking for some interesting reading, head over to the Regina Leader-Post’s website and check out Greg Harder’s series on Headshots and Hockey. . . . Of special interest are stories on Colton Stephenson, who retired from the Edmonton Oil Kings earlier this season, because of concussion-related problems, and Brayden Cuthbert of the Moose Jaw Warriors, who has yet to play this season for the same reason. . . . If you read only one part of this series, though, make it Part 4 in which Harder writes about Dr. Patrick Neary who “has dedicated several years of meticulous research to unlocking the concussion enigma.”
The entire series may be found right here.
———
JUST NOTES: D Stefan Elliott (Saskatoo, 2007-11) scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game on Saturday and it came on Hockey Night in Canada. He scored his side’s third goal in a 5-2 victory over the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . He finished plus-1 with two shots in 19 minutes 36 seconds of playing time over 25 shifts. . . . Elliott, a second-round pick, 49th overall, by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2009 NHL draft is 20, so he still could be playing with Saskatoon. . . .
In Moose Jaw, F Eric Arnold scored twice, including the winner at 11:41 of the third period, as the Warriors beat the Brandon Wheat Kings, 4-3. Arnold, who has four goals, had last scored on Sept. 30. . . . The Warriors swept the home-and-home series, having won 7-6 in Brandon on Friday. . . . The Wheat Kings have lost three in a row. . . . Brandon F Mark Stone, the WHL’s leading scorer, was held pointless for the second time this season. His eight-game goal streak also ended. . . . Moose Jaw was without F Justin Kirsch (concussion), as well as D Dylan McIlrath and F Tanner Eberle, both of whom are serving suspensions. . . .
In Prince Albert, F Brady Brassart had two goals and an assist to help the Calgary Hitmen to an 8-2 victory over the Raiders. . . . The Hitmen broke open a 1-1 game with three goals in a span of 3:01 in the second period. . . . The Hitmen went 4-0 on their swing into the East Division. . . . Each team took 51 penalty minutes. . . .
In Saskatoon, G Adam Morrison stopped 27 shots in leading the Vancouver Giants to a 4-1 victory over the Blades. The Giants acquired Morrison, 20, from the Blades earlier in the season. . . . Vancouver F Cain Franson had two goals. . . . Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls wasn’t able to beat Morrison on a late first-period penalty shot with the Blades leading 1-0. . . . Saskatoon F Lukas Sutter took two checking-to-the-head minors, one at 17:49 of the first and the other just 54 seconds into the second. . . .
In Edmonton, F Tyler Maxwell scored twice as the Oil Kings dumped the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 5-2. . . . Maxwell, who has 13 goals, was acquired Thursday from the Everett Silvertips. . . . F Michael St. Croix had two goals and two assists, while F Dylan Wruck added a goal and two helpers. They are Maxwell’s linemates. . . . Edmonton D Martin Gernat had two assists and was plus-3 with his parents, who are here from Slovakia, among the crowd of 8,759 on Minor Hockey Night. . . . The Oil Kings were without D Mark Pysyk and F Kristians Pelss (both undisclosed). . . .
In Red Deer, the Medicine Hat Tigers went 2-for-11 on the PP and beat the Rebels, 4-1. . . . Red Deer took 56 of 103 penalty minutes. . . . Tigers F Emerson Etem scored his WHL-leading 27th goal, into an empty net. . . . Medicine Hat F Kale Kessy picked up a checking-to-the-head major and game misconduct at 11:10 of the first period. . . .
Medicine Hat G Tyler Bunz stopped 29 shots. . . .
In Kamloops, F Brendan Ranford reached the 200-point plateau as his Blazers dumped the Seattle Thunderbirds, 8-2. . . . Ranford, playing in his 230th game, got there with a second-period goal, his 13th of the season. He also had an assist and a scrap, for the third Gordie Howe hat trick of his career. . . . He also served an early double minor for high-sticking after hitting Seattle F Brendan Troock. After the collision, Ranford’s stick came around and the blade struck Troock in the back of his neck, directly under his helmet. Troock, who missed all of last season with a head injury, left on a stretcher and was taken to hospital as a precaution. When the Thunderbirds left the arena, they planned on stopping at Royal Inland Hospital and picking up Troock for the trip home. . . . Kamloops D Brady Gaudet had three assists. . . . Seattle was outshot 50-19, including 19-3 in the first period. Two of those shots were dump-ins that preceded line changes, with the other a soft shot from the point by D Brad Deagle. . . . The Thunderbirds gave starter Calvin Pickard a rest — he had started 20 of 22 — and gave Daniel Cotton his third career start. . . . Seattle D Cason Machacek was ejected with a major for checking to the head in the third period. . . .
In Everett, the Swift Current Broncos got two goals from F Taylor Vause and beat the Silvertips, 3-1. . . . The Broncos are 1-2 on their U.S. Division trip. . . . They are in Portland today. . . . Broncos G Jon Groenheyde stopped 32 shots. . . . Vause has 15 goals. . . . Everett has lost four in a row. . . .
In Kelowna, F Brett Bulmer scored three times to spark the Rockets to a 6-5 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . Bulmer has six goals in 10 games since returning from the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. . . . Victoria D Zach Habscheid scored his first goal of the season. It was his second in 113 regular-season games. . . .
In Spokane, the Prince George Cougars surprised the Chiefs, 5-4, on D Linden Springer’s first goal. He broke a 4-4 tie at 2:23 of the third period. . . . The goal came in Springer’s 23rd game, 20 of which he has played this season. . . . It also was his first point. . . . The Chiefs are 0-7 on the road as they head out on a five-game trip into the Central Division. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., F Patrick Holland had a goal and two assists as the Tri-City Americans beat the Regina Pats, 6-1. . . . G Eric Comrie stopped 20 shots for the victory. . . . The Americans have won four in a row and are one point behind the Kootenay Ice, who top the WHL’s overall standings. The Americans, at .760, do have the league’s best winning percentage. . . . Regina finished its U.S. Division trek at 1-3-1. . . . The Pats next play Friday against the visiting Vancouver Giants.
———
SATURDAY’S CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Matej Stransky, Saskatoon
F Eric Walker, Vancouver
D Brady Gaudet, Kamloops
F Taylor Crunk, Victoria

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

COLIN SMITH

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
An honours student, Colin Smith was honoured to be honoured Wednesday at the WHL awards luncheon in Calgary.
Smith, who just completed his second season with the Kamloops Blazers, was named the WHL’s scholastic player of the year and was presented with the Doc Seaman Memorial Trophy.
“It was a little nerve-wracking, to say the least,” said Smith, who will turn 18 on June 20. “But it was nice.
“Not too many times do we get rewarded for schoolwork — it’s more on ice. It’s always nice to get recognized in other ways.”
Forward Adam Lowry of the Swift Current Broncos was the Eastern Conference nominee.
Smith is scheduled to graduate with honours from Vimy Ridge Academy in his hometown of Edmonton next month. During the season, he attended Valleyview Secondary.
The Blazers now have had three players win the WHL’s scholastic award. Defenceman Scott Niedermayer won it for the 1990-91 season, while goaltender Devan Dubnyk was the winner for 2003-04. Niedermayer and Dubnyk both went on to be named the CHL’s scholastic player of the year.
On the ice, Smith put up 50 points, including 21 goals, as he played in all 72 of the Blazers’ regular-season games. While the Blazers didn’t make the playoffs, Smith went on to play for Canada at the IIHF U-18 world championship in Germany. He had three points, two of them goals, in seven games as Canada finished fourth.
Seeing some of Europe for the first time, he said, “was really good. It was a cool experience.”
On top of that, he felt he played “pretty well.”
“I tried to play a role and thought I did a pretty good job,” Smith said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t get the result we would have liked. But it was an unbelievable experience otherwise.”
Up next for Smith is the NHL draft.
His play improved markedly in the season’s second half and NHL Central Scouting certainly was paying attention as his ranking went from No. 130 at midseason to 96 in the final seedings.
He wasn’t invited to the NHL scouting combine and won’t be attending the draft in St. Paul, Minn., June 24 and 25.
“I don’t have too many expectations,” he said. “I’m more worried about the work after and next season.”
Smith is the highest-ranked of the three Blazers who showed up on Central Scouting’s list.
Defenceman Tyler Hansen came in at No. 131, while centre Dylan Willick was at No. 164.
———
WHL award winners, announced Wednesday in Calgary (runner-up in parentheses):
Player of the year — G Darcy Kuemper, Red Deer Rebels (F Tyler Johnson, Spokane Chiefs).
Rookie of the year — D Matt Dumba, Red Deer Rebels (F Sven Bartschi, Portland Winterhawks).
Goaltender of the year — Kuemper (James Reid, Spokane).
Defenceman of the year — Stefan Elliott, Saskatoon Blades (Tyson Barrie, Kelowna Rockets).
Most sportsmanlike player — Johnson (Elliott).
Scholastic player of the year — F Colin Smith, Kamloops Blazers (Adam Lowry, Swift Current Broncos).
Coach of the year — Don Nachbaur, Spokane (Jesse Wallin, Red Deer).
Executive of the year — Lorne Molleken, Saskatoon (Mike Johnston, Portland).
Humanitarian of the year — F Spencer Edwards, Moose Jaw Warriors (D Jeff Einhorn, Chilliwack Bruins).
Marketing/Communications award — Mike Moore, Calgary Hitmen (Brian Sandy, Tri-City Americans).
———
As well, the Swift Current Broncos were named the scholastic team of the year, while Matt Kirk was saluted as the league’s top referee. . . . Nachbaur has won the coach-of-the year award three times and has been with a different team on each occasion. . . . Only Pat Ginnell, who was named top coach on four occasions, has won the award more than Nachbaur. . . . This is the ninth straight season in which an Eastern Conference player  has been honoured as the WHL’s player of the year. The last Western Conference player to take the honour? D Dan Hamhuis of the Prince George Cougars in 2001-02.

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

So how exactly is it that the Tri-City Americans do it?
Tri-City, a franchise that was in the junkyard not all that long ago, has played 17 games. It has won 11 of those and has loser points from two other outings. That means the Americans are 11-4-2 on the season.
They went 8-4-2 in October, despite playing 11 of those games on the road.
The Americans already have played one-third of their road games — they are 7-4-1 away from home. Their six-game East Division trip is finished — they went 3-3-0 after losing the first two. Their annual trip to Prince George is finished — they split with the much-improved Cougars, winning 7-3 and losing 8-3.
In the friendly confines of the Toyota Center, the Americans are 4-0-1.
In the second game of that East Division road swing, the Americans lost Brendan Shinnimin, their top centre, to a 12-game suspension for an ugly check from behind. The Americans are 7-2-1 without Shinnimin, who is eligible to return Nov. 13 when they meet the Chiefs in Spokane.
They lost veteran C Kruise Reddick, their captain, to a concussion in an Oct. 9 game against the Wheat Kings in Brandon. They are 5-2-1 without him.
They were without veteran C Mason Wilgosh (jaw) for their first 10 games.
And they are one point behind the Portland Winterhawks, who lead the Western Conference and the U.S. Division.
Let’s not forget that when this season started the Americans weren’t big enough, weren’t skilled enough, had lost too much off the back end and on and on and on.
So how do they do it?
For starters, GM Bob Tory and his scouting staff are as good as any talent evaluators in the league and, of course, they struck the mother lode in Winnipeg, a city that has contributed a whole lot to the Tri-City cause.
Tory has hired solid coaches, first in Don Nachbaur and now in Jim Hiller, who is in his second season with the Americans.
But, more than anything else, I would suggest that the Americans are evidence of what happens when management really is able to change the culture of an organization.
A lot of people involved in downtrodden sports organizations talk about needing (and wanting) to change the culture, recognizing that an entire thought process has to be remade before a franchise can get back on the track to success. Some franchises struggle to get back, finding that this is a process that takes time. Others never make it, or, if they do, rise to the top for a season or two and then slide right back down.
The Americans, though, seem to have found the elixir. They may not get a whole lot of publicity but there can be little doubt that they now are one of the 60-team CHL’s elite franchises.
———
The Americans are just one of the great early stories as the WHL turns the page from October to November.
Right up there with them are the Kootenay Ice and Prince George Cougars.
Kootenay GM Jeff Chynoweth heard from the railbirds when, after saying he wouldn’t do it, he went ahead and promoted assistant coach Kris Knoblauch to head coach following the departure of Mark Holick. The critics were quick to seize on Knoblauch’s age (32) and the fact he had minimal coaching experience.
With assistants Jerry Bancks and Todd Johnson helping out, the Ice has won seven in a row, boasts an 11-3-1 record, and is sitting atop the Eastern Conference, one point clear of the Saskatoon Blades. If you put stock in winning percentages, Kootenay’s .767 is second only to Portland (.833).
The Cranbrook critics have been silent of late. If you’re a WHL fan you just hope they start buying tickets again.
Meanwhile, the Cougars, who had the worst record in the entire CHL last season, are 9-6-1 and fourth in the Western Conference. In the B.C. Division, they are but three points behind the front-running Vancouver Giants.
What is most impressive, however, is that the Cougars are 6-3-1 on the road. What’s the big deal? Last season, they finished with a 4-28-4 road record.
Hockey fans in Prince George have been slow to make their way back to the CN Centre, although it is early — the Cougars have played only six home games. But the Cougars are 7-2-1 in their last 10 outings and, with Brett Connolly healthy and defenceman Martin Marincin getting better every time out, you wonder if there won’t be a lot of magic in this season.
And let’s not forget the Winterhawks, who were having so much dirt shovelled on them just a couple of short years ago. Remember?
Now they are 12-2-1. They have won six in a row and nine of 10. They lead the WHL in victories, points and winning percentage. They are scoring and playing defence, with Mac Carruth and Keith Hamilton, a pair of 18-year-olds, providing solid goaltending.
They didn’t really need to get back Nino Niederreiter, but the Swiss sensation landed on their doorstep Friday, fresh off nine games with the NHL’s New York Islanders. Oh, and he likely has enough coin in his jeans to buy lunch for the boys a time or two.
More than that, though, the Winterhawks have a team that is entertaining and fun to watch. There is chemistry between Ty Rattie, the 17-year-old sophomore, and Swiss freshman Sven Bartschi. And there is Gordie Howe-like unpredictability in winger Brad Ross.
What all of this means is that the Winterhawks are back. Now if only the fans would return.
On the other end of the performance scale are teams like the Kelowna Rockets and the Calgary Hitmen.
The Rockets (4-10-0) have lost three straight and have fallen into the Western Conference basement. They are six points out of a playoff spot and GM Bruce Hamilton and head coach Ryan Huska have experessed concern about leadership and work ethic from veteran players. Those are never positive signs.
In Calgary, the Hitmen also are 4-10-0, but they have lost six in a row. Coaches and players are talking about sticking together and not getting frustrated and taking the positives and working with them to get better.
The Hitmen, of course, are the WHL’s defending champions. But when you’re 4-10-0 stuff happens. Like on Sunday when they twice erased two-goal deficits only to lose on a goal with 59.1 seconds left in the third period.
But that’s what happens when the snowball starts rolling downhill.
Just ask the Brandon Wheat Kings, who recently followed a four-game winning streak with a nine-game drought.
Or the Edmonton Oil Kings. It wasn’t that long ago when they were on a franchise-record five-game winning streak. Today, they are trying to snap an eight-game losing skid.
That’s the kind of season it’s been to date. And the fun likely has just begun.
———
The Regina Pats, of course, were beaten at home 11-1 by the Spokane Chiefs on Saturday night. According to Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post it was the Pats’ most-lopsided defeat in eight years, matching a 10-0 loss to the Moose Jaw Warriors on Oct. 26, 2002.” . . . Harder also pointed out that “the Pats’ three 20-year-olds — Mark Schneider (-6), Colin Reddin (-6) and Thomas Frazee (-4) — were a combined minus-16.” . . . F Marek Kalus, who scored twice for Spokane in that victory, is the younger brother of F Petr Kalus, who played for the Pats in 2005-06.
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SUNDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:
SASKATOON 5 at CALGARY 3: D Stefan Elliott broke a 3-3 tie with 59.1 seconds left in the third period. . . . This was a strange game in that there was one goal scored in the first period and seven in the third. . . . The Blades (10-5-0) scored first when F Darian Dziurzynski got his 11th at 5:04 of the first. . . . F Curtis Hamilton upped the lead to 2-0 at 2:02 of the third. . . . F T revor Ccheek, with his second, got the Hitmen on the board at 6:05. . . . F Braeden Johnson restored Saskatoon’s two-goal lead, with his second, just 55 seconds later. . . . The Htimen then pulled into a tie on goals from F Tyler Fiddler, his third, and F Jimmy Bubnick, his fourth, at 8:24 and 13:41. . . . Elliott won it with his fourth and Hamilton added an empty-netter, his eighth, at 19:50. . . . Hamilton also had an assist, while the Blades got two assists from each of F Marek Viedensky and F Josh Nicholls. . . . The Hitmen (4-10-0) have lost six in a row. . . . Saskatoon G Adam Morrisoin stopped 21 shots, four fewer than Calgary’s Michael Snider. . . . Saskatoon was 0-for-3 on the PP; Calgary was 0-for-6. . . . Attendance was 7,536. . . . Checking-from-behind count: Zero.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
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