THE MacBETH REPORT:

F Steve Regier (Medicine Hat, 2000-04) signed a one-year contract with the Nuremburg Ice Tigers (Germany, DEL). He had 11 goals and 20 assists in 50 games with Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga) this season. . . .



Liberec (Czech Republic, Extraliga) announced it won’t offer a contract for next season to F Lukas Vantuch (Calgary, Lethbridge, 2005-07). Vantuch had one goal and four assists in 31 games with Liberec, one assist during a five-game loan to Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga), and was pointless in two games on loan to Benatky nad Jizerou (Czech Republic, 1. Liga). . . .

F Jaroslav Svoboda (Kootenay, 1998-2000) signed a one-year plus option contract with Chomutov (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had two goals in 25 games with Lev Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga) and three
goals in four games on loan to Sparta Prague (Czech Republic, Extraliga) this season.
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As expected, D Tyler Hansen won’t return to the Kamloops Blazers for his 20-year-old season.
A native of Magrath, Alta., Hansen, who turned 20 on March 17, is forsaking the final season of his junior hockey career in order to go on a mission for his church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Hansen posted on his Facebook page yesterday that he has been “called to the Argentina Buenos Aires West Mission! Speaking Spanish and report July 31st. So excited for this opportunity to serve the Lord.”
“My church is very important to me. My faith and my religion . . . it’s something that I have very close to my heart,” Hansen told me late in February.
At that time, he admitted that the decision was weighing on him.
“It’s hard,” Hansen said. “There’s been a lot of nights when I’ve been on the phone with my parents or Skype, or thinking myself.
“I’m just trying to make the best decision for myself. Obviously, I’m trying to take the team into consideration and what’s best for the team, but ultimately I have to look at myself and what’s best for me and my life.”
Hansen just completed his fourth season with the Blazers. In 254 regular-season games, he had 64 points, including seven goals.
This isn’t the first time the Blazers have lost a player to a mission. F Nathan Grochmal, who is from Yorba Linda, Calif., spent two seasons (2003-05) with the Blazers, then left on an LDS mission to South Africa after his 19-year-old season.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Mike Mueller is the new general manager and head coach of the AJHL’s Drayton Valley Thunder. . . . Mueller, who signed a three-year contract, has been on the Thunder’s coaching staff since 2009. . . . He replaces Fran Gow, who resigned in order to move to Edmonton where his wife is pursuing a business opportunity. . . .


Chris Hartsburg has signed on as an assistant coach with the OHL’s Erie Otters. Hartsburg had been with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips, until he and head coach Mark Ferner were fired on Jan. 8. . . . Hartsburg will work alongside Erie head coach Kris Knoblauch, the former Kootenay Ice head coach.
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The WHL’s championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup opens tonight in Portland.
The fun begins with WHL commissioner Ron Robison meeting with the Portland media at 6 p.m. It is Robison’s first chat with the Portland media since the Winterhawks were severely disciplined for what the WHL called “player benefit violations” on Nov. 28.
After that, there will be a game.
Paul Buker of The Oregonian takes an advance look at the series right here.
Buker also filed a notebook and it’s right here.
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The WHL’s playoff situation:
CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Portland vs. Edmonton
(All times local)
Game 1: Today, at Portland (Rose Garden), 7 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, at Portland (Rose Garden), 7 p.m.
Game 3: Tuesday, May 7, at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Wednesday, May 8, at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
x-Game 5: Friday, May 10, at Portland (Rose Garden), 7 p.m.
x-Game 6: Sunday, May 12, at Edmonton, 4 p.m.
x-Game 7: Monday, May 13, at Portland (Rose Garden), 7 p.m.
x – if necessary.


All games will televised by Shaw in Canada. They also will be televised in Portland, with Games 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 on Comcast SportsNet, and Games 2 and 7 on Root Sports. Comcast and Roots will pick up the Shaw telecast that will feature play-by-play man Dan Russell, along with Bill Wilms, Peter Loubardias and Andy Neal.
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THURSDAY’S GAME:
No Game Scheduled.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT (21):
None

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT (7):
None
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From Portland D Josh Hanson (@HansoloCup4): “Hey does anyone know who we got with our first round pick...? #OhWait”


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Some Monday stuff . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
D Matt Suderman (Saskatoon, Everett, 1999-2004) signed a one-year contract extension with the Dundee Stars (Scotland, UK Elite). He had one goal and five assists in 55 games for Dundee this season. Stars head coach Dan Ceman: "Matt does the dirty work that doesn't always get noticed but is essential for a winning team. He puts his body on the line every game blocking shots, finishing checks, and dropping the gloves if he needs to. Matt also proved himself as a shut down defenceman who we could play against other team's top lines. It's great to have him back." . . .
F Steve Regier (Medicine Hat, 2000-04) signed a two-year contract extension with Red Bull Salzburg (Austria, Erste Bank Liga). He had 11 goals and 22 assists in 50 games for Red Bull this season. . . .
F Sergei Varlamov (Swift Current, 1995-98) signed a one-year contract with Donbass Donetsk (Ukraine, Vyscha Liha). He had eight goals and nine assists in 37 games with Dynamo Minsk (Belarus, KHL) this season. . . .
F Curtis Huppe (Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Tri-City, 1995-2000) signed a one-year contract with the Guilford Flames (England, Premier). He had 59 goals and 51 assists in 54 games for the league-champion Manchester Phoenix (England, Premier) this season, good for third place in the league scoring race. Huppe was named to the league's second all-star team. Flames head coach Paul Dixon: "Curtis is a guy with the type of offensive ability that we expect will fill some of that gap. He has a very long and proven offensive track record in a variety of very good leagues and he has contributed to championships on several of those teams, which in itself played a very big part in the decision to bring him in. In addition to ability and experience, he has no trouble in situations where the game is a bit more physical which is a useful attribute when we are away, and playing on ice surfaces that have smaller dimensions than Spectrum." . . .
F Lukas Vartovnik (Everett, 2006-08) signed a one-year plus option contract with MHC Martin (Slovakia, Extraliga). He had four goals and two assists in 39 games for Banska Bystrica (Slovakia, Extraliga) and two goals in 14 games on loan to Brezno and Spisska Nova Ves (both Slovakia, 1.Liga) this season. . . .
D Sven Butenschön (Brandon, 1993-96) signed a one-year contract with the Nuremburg Ice Tigers (Germany, DEL). He had one goal in 33 games with Adler Mannheim (Germany, DEL) this season.
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Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times has spoken with Ron Salcer, who was the late Derek Boogaard’s agent. She also spoke with Al DiRoberto, the father of Torrey DiRoberto (Seattle, 1995-99). It turns out that concussions cut short Torrey’s career. Elliott’s piece is right here.
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Jason Peters of the Prince George Citizen writes about Derek Boogaard in today’s paper. There is some insight right here into what Boogaard went through as he dealt with his latest concussion.
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Larry Brooks of the New York Post writes on the legacy of Derek Boogaard, the New York Rangers enforcer whose body was discovered Friday. That piece is right here.
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Randy Starkman of the Toronto Star spoke with former NHLer Keith Primeau about Derek Boogaard and the family’s decision to allow researchers/scientists to examine his brain. Primeau, of course, has had concussion problems of his own. Starkman’s story is right here.
———There are plans afoot to make some changes to the Centrium in Red Deer. Paul Cowley of the Red Deer Advocate has that story right here. Westerner Park would like to add 1,000 seats and 14 luxury boxes to the facility that now has 5,735 seats.
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
Former WHLer Matt Kassian is deep into the AHL playoffs with the Houston Aeros, who are affiliated with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. With the Aeros holding a 2-0 lead on the Hamilton Bullodgs and with the series headed north for Game 3 tonight, Kassian tweeted:
“Big win — travel in the morning to the motherland and colored money.”
If you’re on Twitter, Kassian is at @kassassination.
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SOME NOTES ON THE ICE,courtesy of the Kootenay Ice:
F Jesse Ismond of the Kootenay Ice is the WHL’s player of the week. He had seven points, including three goals, and went plus-6 in the last three games of the WHL’s championship final. . . . The Ice is preparing to appear in its third Memorial Cup, having won it in 2002. . . . The Ice has played 144 playoff games in its 13 seasons in Cranbrook. Only Calgary (165) and Kelowna (155) have played more over that stretch. . . . The Ice is 85-59 in playoff games, and 17-10 in series. . . . The Ice has clinched three WHL championships, each of them on May 13 ((2000, 1-0 over Spokane; 2002; 3-2 in OT over Red Deer; 2011, 4-1 over Portland). . . . Kootenay finished the postseason with 559 games of playoff experience, led by F Kevin King (46), F Cody Eakin (40) and D Brayden McNabb (39). . . . The Ice set a franchise record for most consecutive games won in the playoffs with 11 (March 30–April 27). . . . The Ice set a franchise record for most consecutive games won at home with eight (March 26–May 11). . . . The Ice set a franchise record for most consecutive games won on the road with six (March 30–April 23). . . . F Max Reinhart tied a WHL record for the most goals scored in one game during the playoffs with five on April 27 against Medicine Hat. . . . Reinhart set a franchise record for most shorthanded goals during a playoff season with three and tied a franchise record for most shorthanded goals in one playoff game with two against Medicine Hat on April 27 (Martin Sagat, 2005). . . . Nathan Lieuwen set a franchise record for most shutouts during a playoff season with three and tied the career record for most shutouts in the playoffs with Dan Blackburn (2000 and 2001) F Matt Fraser, who led the WHL playoffs in goals, tied a franchise record for most goals scored during a playoff season with 17 (Duncan Milroy, 2002). . . . McNabb set a franchise record for most points by a defenceman during a playoff season with 27 and led the WHL in plus-minus, at plus-23, during the playoffs.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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