THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Steve McCarthy (Edmonton/Kootenay, 1996-2000) signed a one-year contract extension with ZSC Zurich (Switzerland, NL A). He started the season with Abbotsford Heat (AHL), getting two goals and eight assists in 30 games. McCarthy then signed with ZSC in late January and had one assist in eight games.
---
Lester Munson, who is a legal analyst at espn.com, has taken a look at the wrongful death lawsuit filed against the NHL by the family of the late Derek Boogaard. He provides some insight into what all is going on. That piece is right here.
---
The WHL got some pub at SI.com this week. Of course, the story is about the Portland Winterhawks having won the WHL championship and, yes, it mentions the little matter of those sanctions. That piece is right here. (BTW, the same story got some play from the Washington Post.)
---
The Tri-City Americans have signed F Nolan Yaremko, who was a second-round pick (29th overall) in the 2013 WHL bantam draft. The 5-foot-11, 178-pound Yaremko, who is from Spirit River, Alta., played for the Edmonton-based Southside Athletic Club Southgate Lions, putting up 69 points, including 28 goals, in 33 regular-season games. He added 25 points, 11 of them goals, in 11 playoff games. . . . The Americans signed F Parker AuCoin earlier in the week, meaning they have signed their first two selections from the 2013 bantam draft.
---
Travis Green, the acting GM and head coach of the Portland Winterhawks, is the flavour of the day in the coaching game. He has done a terrific job since the WHL suspended Mike Johnston, the club’s GM and head coach, for the remainder of the season on Nov. 28. But what’s next for Green? Paul Buker of The Oregonian tackles that question right here.
---
Glen Gulutzan, who was fired this week as the head coach of the NHL’s Dallas Stars, now is on staff with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades. Gulutzan will work with the Blades through the end of the Memorial Cup. . . . Gulutzan was with the Blades on Wednesday. . . . "We’re happy to have another set of eyes to help us out," Lorne Molleken, the Blades’ general manager and head coach, told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. "He’ll be the eye in the sky. As we go through the different games his input will be real, real important." . . . What’s the connection between Gulutzan and the Blades. As Nugent-Bowman explains: "Gulutzan played for the Blades in 1992, captaining the team to Game 7 of the WHL final before losing to the Kamloops Blazers. Molleken was the coach that season and current associate coach David Struch was the alternate captain."
---
Now here's an interesting story.
Jon Kuiperij of the Metroland Media Group has a story right here about a junior A league in Ontario that is about to begin charging players to play. In fact, one general manager said his club may charge between $3,000 and $4,000. . . . Players already pay to play, but the ceiling is being removed. . . . That story is right here.
---
THE COACHING GAME:
Dave Hunchak is the new head coach of the Kamloops Blazers. Hunchak, the team’s associate coach for the past two seasons, replaces Guy Charron, who now is the advisor to hockey operations. . . . The Blazers now will hire a full-time assistant coach. . . . Before joining the Blazers, Hunchak spent four seasons as head coach of the Moose Jaw Warriors and three as an assistant coach with the Swift Current Broncos. . . . According to a Blazers news release: "Charron’s new role with the hockey club will include attending practices and home games while assisting the general manager, coaching and scouting staff on all hockey related matters. Charron will also aid in on-ice skill development and represent the Blazers at local community events." . . . Charron went 144-97-20 in 3½ seasons as the Blazers head coach. He is tied with Don Hay, behind only Ken Hitchcock (291) in terms of coaching victories with the Blazers. . . . The Blazers also have re-signed Colin (Toledo) Robinson, their athletic trainer/equipment manager. Robinson, who is preparing for his 18th WHL season, joined the Blazers from the Vancouver Giants over the summer of 2005. . . . Hunchak and Robinson signed multi-year contracts. No other details were provided by the Blazers. . . . Hunchak will attend the Memorial Cup in Saskatoon, where he also is to be involved in a daily radio show during the tournament.
---
TWEET OF THE DAY:
From ESPN's Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons), who is a huge NBA fan and follower: "Between tonight's playoff games, David Stern is going to ram a knife into the back of a giant Seattle SuperSonics piñata."

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.

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Marek Svatos (Kootenay, 2000-02) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia, KHL) after an unsuccessful tryout with the Florida Panthers. Svatos last played in 2010-11, when he had three goals and five assists in 19 games with Avangard Omsk (Russia, KHL) and four goals and four assists in 28 games split between the Nashville Predators and Ottawa Senators. . . .


D Steve McCarthy (Edmonton/Kootenay, 1996-2000) signed a contract for the rest of this season with ZSC Zurich (Switzerland, NL A) after an unsuccessful tryout with the Calgary Flames. He had two goals and eight assists in 30 games with the Abbotsford Heat (AHL) this season. . . .

 F Ned Lukacevic (Spokane, Swift Current, 2001-06) signed a tryout contract with Aalborg (Denmark, AL-Bank Liga). He started the season with Eispiraten Crimmitschau (Germany, 2. Bundesliga), where he was pointless in a two-game tryout. Lukacevic then signed with Banska Bystrica (Slovakia, Extraliga), getting three goals and eight assists in 15 games before being released by mutual agreement on Monday. . . .

F Duncan Milroy (Swift Current, Kootenay, 1998-2003) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Vålerenga Oslo (Norway, GET-Ligaen). He had six goals and 22 assists in 45 games with the Krefeld Pinguine (Germany, DEL) last season.
———
The Prince George Cougars have signed Mark Holick as their head coach, replacing Dean Clark who was relieved of his duties on Tuesday morning.
Assistant coach Jason Becker ran the bench Wednesday, as the Cougars dropped a 3-2 decision to the visiting Prince Albert Raiders.
Holick was to speak with the players following the game and will run practice today and take over the bench Friday when the Everett Silvertips are in Prince George.
Sheri Lamb of the Prince George Citizen has more on the coaching change right here.
———
Sheri Lamb of the Prince George Citizen also has spoken with a couple of Cougars players who are dealing with post-concussion syndrome.
This is an interesting story, another one that gives you some idea of what players go through while dealing with brain injuries.
———
F Dryden Hunt of the Regina Pats is working to come back from a second concussion this season. Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post writes right here about what Hunt has gone through.
———

Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun reports that D Ryan Pulock (wrist) was back practising with the Brandon Wheat Kings on Wednesday. He has missed five games with a chipped bone in a wrist. The Wheat Kings will meet the Rebels in Red Deer on Friday, but Pulock wasn’t ready to commit himself to playing just yet. . . . Brandon D Rene Hunter didn’t skate after blocking a shot in Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to the visiting Saskatoon Blades. Also missing was F Nick Buonassisi (ill), who didn’t play Tuesday.
———
Michael Newman Wright, who was selected by the Tri-City Americans in the sixth round of the 1995 bantam draft, has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison on an armed robbery charge.
Hannah Spray of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has that story right here.
———
WEDNESDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS:
In Saskatoon, the Edmonton Oil Kings scored the game’s first three goals and went on to a 4-2 victory over the Blades. . . . D Griffin Reinhart, who turns 19 today, scored twice for Edmonton, giving him six. . . . Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls scored his 32nd goal at 2:21 of the third to get the Blades to within 3-2. . . . Reinhart got his second goal at 15:02. . . .

F Jaedon Descheneau drew three assists as the host Kootenay Ice got past the Medicine Hat Tigers, 3-2. . . . F Luke Philp broke a 2-2 tie at 13:52 of the third. . . . In 11 January games, Descheneau has 18 points, including 14 in the last seven. . . . Last season, Deschenau, a 17-year-old from Edmonton, had 14 points in 54 games. Now he has 45, including 32 assists, in 45 games. . . . Ice F Sam Reinhart, who was day-to-day on the injury list, had two assists. . . . Kootenay, which has won five straight and 12 of 13, has closed to within four points of an Eastern Conference playoff spot. . . .

In Kamloops, G Austin Lotz stopped 65 shots — yes, 65! — but the last one he faced got past him and gave the Blazers a 4-3 OT victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . By period, Lotz stopped 29, 18 and 18 shots. His 65 saves were a single-game franchise record. The previous record (55) had been set by Kent Simpson in a game against Portland last season. . . . Kamloops won it when F Cole Ully scored on a penalty shot at 1:17 of extra time. It was Ully’s second goal of the game and 16th of the season. Ully, who had 20 goals, including nine goals, in 55 games last season, has 33 points in 40 games this season. . . . Everett somehow took 43 of the game’s 58 penalty minutes, including 14 of 19 minors. . . . Kamloops ended up going 0-for-12 on the PP; the Silvertips were 1-for-3. . . . Lotz was chosen as Wednesday’s first star by Neate Sager of the Buzzing The Net blog and was given all three stars by the Kamloops Daily News. In the building, he was the third star, although the fans did give him a standing ovation. . . .

In Prince George, the Prince Albert Raiders overcame a 2-0 deficit and beat the Cougars, 3-2. . . . F Mike Winther broke a 2-2 tie at 12:57 of the third period with his 17th goal. . . . It was the Cougars’ first game since head coach Dean Clark was fired on Tuesday. Assistant coach Jason Becker ran the bench, with Mark Holick, the new head coach, planning to take over with the Everett Silvertips in town for a Friday-Saturday doubleheader. . . .

In Spokane, D Brenden Kichton scored in the circus to give the Chiefs a 5-4 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . Kichton, who scored his 16th goal in the first period, was the only one of six shooters to score in the circus. . . . Spokane G Eric Williams stopped 41 shots. . . . Spokane led 3-1 after the second. The Winterhawks forced OT with goals by D Troy Rutkowsk, his 16th, at 15:13 of the third and F Ty Rattie’s 23rd at 16:31. Rutkowski’s goal was a shorthanded effort. . . . Rattie’s goal was his 300th career point. It came in his 245th game. . . . The Chiefs had beaten the host Winterhawks 5-2 on Monday. The teams play again Friday in Spokane.
———
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Austin Vetterl, Kootenay
F Manraj Hayer, Everett
F Carson Perreaux, Prince Albert

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
D Joel Edmundson, Kamloops
———






From Everett Silvertips D Ben Betker (@Betker5): “S/O to my roomy on the road @lotzy30. Kid had a night to remember in the loops #65Saves”
———
From former Kootenay Ice F Drew Czerwonka (@cwonks19): “Attempted to wax my chest tonight, did about 6 strips and quit. Mad props to all the ladies out there who do that regularly #sopainful”
Czerwonka now is at the U of Regina.

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.

It’s your lucky day because I bring word that a new issue of DubNation is available. Yes, right now!
The latest edition has Dave Lowry, the first-year head coach of the Victoria Royals, on the cover to go with a story on him.
Among other things in this edition are a look at hockey in Seattle and a look back at Ernie (Punch) McLean’s WHL days.
It is available in flip-page or PDF.
To get it, you can click right here.
Or go over to the right side of this page, click on DubNation and then on MAGAZINE.
DubNation is put together — planned, designed and laid out — by Doyle Potenteau, the Kelowna Daily Courier’s veteran hockey writer.
Enjoy!
———
There is little doubt but that the NHL lockout is being felt in the WHL.
For example, the Regina Pats got D Colton Jobke, 20, back from the AHL’s Houston Aeros on Thursday. Were it not for the lockout, he almost certainly would have gotten a longer look and may well have ended up somewhere in the Minnesota Wild’s organization.
On Saturday, the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs shipped out six players, with G Mac Carruth, 20, finding himself on his way back to the Portland Winterhawks.
This, of course, makes things awfully interesting in Portland, where the Winterhawks opened the season with two goaltenders — Brendan Burke, 17, and Cam Lanigan, 20.
Carruth played the last three seasons in Portland, while Lanigan was claimed off waivers from the Kamloops Blazers over the summer.
Carruth went 73-30-3 over the last two regular seasons and then helped get the Winterhawks into the WHL’s championhip final each of the last two seasons.
Lanigan, meanwhile, has had a spotty WHL career with stops in Edmonton, Kamloops and now Portland. But he has been really strong with the Winterhawks in the early part of this season, going 3-0-0, 1.00, .960.
If nothing else, his performance this season should ensure Lanigan gets a look from someone else should he be the odd goaltender out in Portland.
BTW, the IceHogs assigned two other ex-WHLers — F Byron Froese and G Kent Simpson — to the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye.
Simpson, like Carruth, is a 20-year-old and one supposes he could still end up back with the Everett Silvertips.
———
Tyler Bunz, another 20-year-old goaltender, has been assigned from the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons to the ECHL’s Stockton Thunder. Bunz played the last four seasons with the Medicine Hat Tigers.
———
F Matt Barzal, taken first overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL’s 2012 bantam draft, was taken to hospital in Prince George on Saturday with what is believed to be a concussion. . . . Sheri Lamb of the Prince George Citizen reports that Barzal, who plays for the major midget Vancouver-North East Chiefs, was injured in the second period. He was taken to hospital during the intermission. . . . The Chiefs dropped a 4-0 decision to the Cariboo Cougars. . . . Barzal attended the Thunderbirds’ training camp but hasn’t signed a WHL contract.
———
The Vancouver Giants have assigned D Arvin Atwal to the junior B North Delta Devils of the Pacific International junior league. Atwal, who turns 17 on Nov. 26, is recovering from shoulder surgery and isn’t expected to play until sometime in November.
———
The AHL’s Abbotsford Heat has signed D Steve McCarthy, 31, who hasn’t played in the NHL since 2007-08 when he was with the Atlanta Thrashers. . . . McCarthy played three WHL seasons, one with the Edmonton Ice and two with the Kootenay Ice. In 1996, he was the Ice’s first bantam draft pick when he went first overall. . . . McCarthy, who is from Trail, B.C., played last season with the Swiss Elite League’s Zurich Lions, who won the championship under head coach Bob Hartley. Hartley now is head coach of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, the Heats’ parent club.
———
SATURDAY’S STUFF:
D Ryan Pulock celebrated his 18th birthday with two goals as the host Brandon Wheat Kings beat the Red Deer Rebels, 2-1. . . . Pulock tied the game 1-1 at 9:43 of the second and got the winner, via the PP, at 1:19 of the third. . . . Brandon F Nick Buonassisi had two assists. . . . Pulock has 11 points, four of them goals, in seven games. He also is plus-11. . . .

The Edmonton Oil Kings broke open a scoreless game with three PP goals in the second period and went on to beat the visiting Saskatoon Blades, 4-1. . . . The Oil Kings finished 3-5 on the PP; the Blades were 1-9. . . . The Blades have given up eight PP goals in their last two games, losing them by a cumulative 14-2. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit picked up two assists, to go with his 27 saves. Oh, he also had a minor penalty. A victory. An assist. A penalty. Is that some kind of Terry Sawchuk hat trick? . . . Brossoit went into the game with three assists in 101 career regular-season games. . . . Edmonton D Keegan Lowe (foot) missed his third straight game. . . . Saskatoon D Dalton Thrower, a second-round pick by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2012 NHL draft, was a healthy scratch for the second time in two nights. . . . The Blades (2-5-0) have lost three in a row as they prepared to face the visiting Portland Winterhawks on Wednesday. . . .

G Daniel Wapple got his first WHL victory in his first home start as the Moose Jaw Warriors dumped the Portland Winterhawks, 4-2. . . . Wapple, who made 32 saves, lost his shutout in the last half of the third period. . . . F Sam Fioretti had a goal and two assists for Moose Jaw. . . . Moose Jaw F Justin Kirsch returned from a four-game WHL suspension. . . .

The host Swift Current Broncos scored the game’s first two goals and then hung on for a 2-1 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . G Eetu Laurikainen made 25 saves for the Broncos, who have points in all seven games they have played. . . . F Ryon Moser scored his fourth goal for the Broncos. He is riding a season-opening seven-game point streak. . . .

The line of Colin Smith between Tim Bozon and JC Lipon totalled nine points as the Kamloops Blazers dropped the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers, 4-1. . . . Lipon had two goals and an assist, with Bozon scoring his fifth of the season and adding two assists, and Smith drawing three helpers. . . . Lipon has 12 points, nine of them assists, in six games, while Smith has 11 points and Bozon has 10. . . . Lipon is tied for the WHL points lead and is No. 1 in assists. . . . The Blazers are 5-0-1 and alone atop the Western Conference. . . . The Tigers went 0-2-1 in a quick trip into the B.C. Division. . . .

F Rourke Chartier, the 15th overall selection in the 2011 bantam draft, scored his first two WHL goals and set up another to help the visiting Kelowna Rockets to a 7-5 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Rourke’s father, Marc, played in the WHL with the Saskatoon Blades, New Westminster Bruins and Billings Bighorns (1977-81). . . . D Myles Bell, who has been spending some time of late playing up front with Kelowna, had a goal and three assists. . . .

D Shea Theodore scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Everett Silvertips. . . . Russian F Alex Delnov broke a 2-2 tie at 4:08 of the third period. At that point all five goals had come via the PP. . . . In the end, six of the seven scores came with the man advantage. . . . For the second night in a row, Seattle was awarded a penalty shot because an opposing player covered the puck in his crease. This time, Delnov couldn’t beat G Austin Lotz. (On Friday, Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave stopped F Connor Honey). . . . Lotz left with an undisclosed injury and was replaced by Cole Holowenko to open the third. Holowenko was beaten on two of the first three shots he faced. . . .

G Eric Williams ran his record to 2-0 as Spokane’s unchallenged starter as the host Chiefs beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 4-2. . . . Williams stopped 27 shots, one night after he and the Chiefs beat the visiting Victoria Royals, 5-3. . . . The Chiefs released G Mac Engel, 19, on Friday and are trying to trade him. With that move, Williams, 19, took over as the starter. . . . Spokane F Mitch Holmberg got his WHL-high eighth goal of the season. . . .

F Logan Nelson tied the game late in the third period and then scored the only goal of the shootout as the Victoria Royals beat the Tri-City Americans 4-3 in Kennewick, Wash. . . . Nelson scored his second goal of the game and third of the season with 34.1 seconds to play in the third period. . . . G Jared Rathjen stopped 34 shots for the Royals and then was perfect in the circus. . . . F Brian Williams received credit for Tri-City’s first goal when Victoria scored an own goal with a delayed penalty being called on the Americans. With Tri-City D Zach Yuen to be called for slashing, Victoria F Jamie Crooks tried to centre the puck from behind the Americans net and had the puck go all the way down the ice and into the empty net. . . . “I’ve never see it before, and I’m old,” Tri-City head coach Jim Hiller told Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald.
———
CHECKING FROM BEHIND COUNT:
F Marc McCoy, Red Deer
F Alex Forsberg, Prince George
D Nick Walters, Everett (double minor)
F Luke Harrison, Victoria
———
CHECKING TO THE HEAD COUNT:
F Jason Swyripa, Brandon
F Jayce Hawryluk, Brandon
F Mitch Moroz, Edmonton
F Jessey Astles, Saskatoon
D Joel Edmundson, Moose Jaw
———
TWEET OF THE DAY I:
From Matthew Gourlie (@MattGourlie) who covers the Warriors for the Moose Jaw Times-Herald: “Having technical issues was bringing back flashbacks of life in the Civic Centre. Don’t miss those issues, but I still miss the Crushed Can.”
———
TWEET OF THE DAY II:
From Les Lazaruk (@Bladesvoice), the play-by-play voice of the Saskatoon Blades: “My hand is up but if @bladeshockey get spanked again tonight vs @EdmOilKings, somet players might not find themselves at Memorial Cup in May”
———
Brandt Snedeker has become one of the PGA tour’s best players. His caddy is Scott Vail, the 38-year-old son of former NHLer Eric Vail, a Calder Trophy winner. Tim Wharnsby of cbc.ca checks in with Scott Vail right here.

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.

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Steve McCarthy (Edmonton/Kootenay, 1996-2000) signed a contract for the rest of this season with ZSC Zurich (Switzerland, NL A) after a successful tryout. He had three assists in 10 games during his tryout.
———
In Spokane, the Chiefs outshot Everett 55-16 and beat the Silvertips, 8-1. . . . The Chiefs stretched a 3-1 second-period lead with five third-period goals. . . . .It was the end of a nine-game road swing for Everett, during which time it was 2-6-1. . . . The Silvertips, who are at home against the Prince George Cougars on Friday, have lost five straight. . . . Everett D Lucas Grayson was given a charging major for a hit on Spokane F Dominik Uher at 16:04 of the third period. Uher was hit as he scored the Chiefs’ seventh goal, his sixth of the season. . . . As Uher left the ice, he wasn’t able to put any weight on his right leg. . . .
In Regina, defence partners Brandon Davidson and Brandon Underwood each had three assists as the Pats beat the Medicine Hat Tigers, 4-3 in OT. . . . Each team was 3-for-4 on the PP, with only the winning goal scored at even strength. . . . Regina freshman F Morgan Klimchuk won it at 1:34 of OT. . . . Regina freshman F Morgan Klimchuk won it at 1:34 of OT. . . . Tigers F Emerson Etem, who leads the WHL in goals (23) and points (39), had his 17-game point streak snapped. . . . F Mark Stone of the Brandon Wheat Kings, who has 37 points, has points in each of his club’s 18 games this season. . . . The Pats had held a players-only meeting after losing 3-2 to the visiting Calgary Hitmen on Saturday night. . . . The Tigers were without F Cole Grbavac, their captain, who took a charging major during Saturday’s 4-3 OT victory in Brandon. . . .
In Moose Jaw, the Warriors overcame a 2-0 deficit and beat the Calgary Hitmen 3-2 in OT on F Quinton Howden’s fourth goal of the season. . . . He scored on the PP at 1:22 of extra time. Calgary F Jimmy Bubnick was penalized for goaltender interference with 19.1 seconds left in the third period. . . . Moose Jaw D Morgan Rielly had two assists before leaving with an apparent right leg injury in the third period. . . . The Warriors didn’t dress D Dylan McIlrath (undisclosed), who has missed four of the club’s last five games, and D Joel Edmundson (undisclosed), who sat out a month with a high ankle sprain before returning to play four games. McIlrath has played once game since taking an elbow to the head in Cranbrook on Oct. 22 so you have to wonder if he has a concussion. . . .
———
Neate Sager of Yahoo! Sports, who handles the Buzzing The Net blog, has his BTN Dynamic Dozen posted (in fact, it was up before midnight Pacific time). . . . It’s right here and it’s worth checking out.
———
Jeff Bell of the Victoria Times Colonist has a neat story right here that involves the carpet and logo in the dressing room of the Victoria Royals.

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

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Steve McCarthy (Edmonton/Kootenay, 1996-2000) signed a tryout contract with ZSC Zurich (Switzerland, NL A) that runs through Nov.  5. He was pointless in 32 games with TPS Turku (Finland, SM-Liiga) last season. Bob Hartley, who coached McCarthy in Atlanta (NHL), is ZSC's head coach.
———
Less than 24 hours after being on the wrong end of a 9-3 score at home against the Swift Current Broncos, Rich Preston, the general manager and head coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes got out the broom.
Before Sunday dinner had been served, Preston, his squad winless in eight games, had made three trades and there very well may be more to come.
At the same time, the Brandon Wheat Kings made two deals as owner/general manager Kelly McCrimmon left no doubt as to whether he feels he has a contender on his hands.
In the biggest deal, Preston dealt G Brandon Anderson, 19, along with third- and sixth-round picks in the 2012 bantam draft to the  Wheat Kings for G Liam Liston, 18, and D Spencer Galbraith, 18.
Anderson, who is from Langley, B.C., attended the Washington Capitals’ training camp a year ago as a free agent and ended up signing an NHL contract with them.
Negotiations involving the Hurricanes’ decision to move Anderson heated up Saturday night and, for a time, it was thought he had been traded to the Spokane Chiefs.
However, Lethbridge G Damien Ketlo, 20, left the loss to the Broncos early in the first period with a groin strain and Preston chose not to make a move at that time.
On Sunday, however, it was full speed ahead.
Anderson, a third-round pick by Lethbridge in the 2007 bantam draft, is 2-3-1, 3.78, .894 this season. He has played 107 career games in Lethbridge, going 31-49-15, 3.63, .890.
Liston, a third-round pick by Brandon in the 2008 bantam draft, is 2-1-0, 4.77, .864 this season. Last season, he was 20-16-1, with a 3.77 GAA, in 41 games.
Galbraith, a 12th-round pick in 2008, had nine points and 99 penalty minutes in 49 games last season. He has 12 penalty minutes in seven games this season.
Preston also dealt D Reid Jackson, 18, and a 2012 fifth-round bantam pick to the Prince George Cougars for F Nick Buonassisi, 19.
Jackson, the son of veteran NHL scout Les Jackson, who once coached the WHL’s Great Falls Americans and then the Brandon Wheat Kings, had 20 points and 64 penalty minutes in 50 games last season. This season, he has one assist and 10 PMs in seven games.
Buonassisi, in his fourth season with the Cougars, has four points in 10 games this season.
Earlier in the day, the Hurricanes sent D Derek Ryckman, 19, to the Tri-City Americans for a fourth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft.
Ryckman, 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, had 29 points and 211 penalty minutes in 164 games with Lethbridge. He was a sixth-round selection in the sixth round of the 2007 bantam draft.
———
As the sun began to set on Sunday, the Wheat Kings made another deal, this time getting F Darian Dziurzynski, 20, from the Saskatoon Blades for three draft picks — second-rounders in 2012 and 2013 and a third-rounder in 2014.
Dziurzynski had 57 points, including 35 goals, in 72 games with the Blades last season. He was a fifth-round selection by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2011 NHL draft.
Dziurzynski was late rejoining the Blades from pro camp and has three goals — two of them game-winners — and four PMs in four games. In 243 career games, the has 118 points, including 65 goals, and 395 PMs.
The Wheat Kings’ roster now contains the maximum three 20-year-olds, the others being F Paul Ciarelli and D Brodie Melnychuk.
The Blades also are down to three — F Jake Trask, who has missed four games with an undisclosed injury, F Jesse Paradis and F Michael Burns.
Saskatoon will be the host team for the 2013 Memorial Cup; this trade gives Blades GM/head coach Lorne Molleken three early draft picks to use as assets as he works to ensure Saskatoon has a contender next season.
"The way the game is today, nobody's trading their young, top prospects for the most part," Molleken told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. "Draft picks become very valuable. It was a situation where the players I was offered, I wasn't excited about them. So this affords us with the opportunity to make some trades as we move forward using draft picks."
———
It wasn’t long after being dealt to Lethbridge that G Liam Liston tweeted:
“Want to take this oppurtunity to publicly thank the @bdnwheatkings organization, the city of Brandon, and especially my billets for everything they've done for me, disappointed to be leaving so many great friends.”
———
SOME SUNDAY NOTES:
In Kamloops, freshman G Cole Cheveldave ran his record to 4-0-0 as the Blazers edged the Kelowna Rockets, 3-2. Cheveldave was the first of the Blazers’ three goaltenders to start in back-to-back games. . . . They are expected to get down to two goaltenders before leaving Tuesday on a three-game Alberta swing. . . .
In Calgary, F Alex Gogolev and F Brady Brassart each scored twice and F Jimmy Bubnick drew three assists as the Hitmen beat the Swift Current Broncos, 5-1. . . .
In Everett, F Tyler Maxwell scored twice, set up another and was plus-5 as the Silvertips doubled the Tri-City Americans, 6-3. . . . Maxwell now holds Everett’s franchise record, with 102 career goals, two more than F Shane Harper. . . . F Josh Birkholz iced the victory with two empty-netters as Everett ended a four-game losing streak.
———
While Don Cherry may have apologized on Coach’s Corner on Saturday night, not all is well in Stu Grimson’s world.
Grimson, Chris Nilan and Jim Thomson, former NHL toughies who were drawn and quartered by Cherry, have accepted Cherry’s apology.
However, Grimson felt he had to get a few things off his chest.
Check it out right here.

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