Time for WHL to honour Kennedy? . . . Monarchs close in on Calder Cup . . . Parrish in coaching game

SHELDON KENNEDY

To say the last few months of Sheldon Kennedy’s life have been amazing would be something of an understatement.
Consider that . . .
On Dec. 26, it was announced that he would receive the Order of Canada, which recognizes “outstanding achievement, dedication to community and service to the nation.”
On May 12, the Manitoba government announced that Kennedy, who is from Elkhorn, Man., will be inducted into the Order of Manitoba on July 9. This is Manitoba’s way of recognizing, according to the Winnipeg Sun, “people who have demonstrated excellence and achievement in any field of endeavour, benefiting the social, cultural or economic well-being of Manitoba and its residents.”
On May 25, the U of Guelph announced that Kennedy would receive the 2015 Lincoln Alexander Outstanding Leader Award. According to the university, the award “honours exemplary and dedicated Canadian leaders whose careers have included groundbreaking, socially significant pursuits.”
On June 8, the U of Calgary honoured Kennedy by presenting him with an honourary degree, Doctor of Laws. According to a news release from the university, the honourary degree “is the University of Calgary’s highest academic honour, bestowed on individuals whose notable achievements and community service merit recognition.”
These awards follow such honours as being named Calgary’s Citizen of the Year for 2012, a Scotiabank Humanitarian Award and the 2014 David Foster Foundation Humanitarian Award.
In making its announcement the U of Calgary referred to Kennedy as “Canada’s finest role model.”
Here’s more from the U of Calgary’s news release:
“Kennedy’s decision to go public with charges against his former junior hockey coach brought the issue of child sexual abuse to the social forefront. He has become an unofficial, international spokesperson for abuse survivors and has made personal appearances on Oprah, ABC’s Nightline, W-5 and The Fifth Estate. Kennedy was named Canada’s newsmaker of the year in 1997 and his life story was made into an award-winning television movie, The Sheldon Kennedy Story, which aired in 1999.
“In 2013, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the official naming of the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre, a first-of-its-kind facility that utilizes a collaborative model for investigating and treating child abuse. Kennedy serves on the centre’s board and continues to influence social change through Respect Group, the company he co-founded to provide empowering online education for the prevention of abuse, bullying and harassment in youth.”
For more on what is happening with the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre, click right here.
Kennedy, who will turn 46 on June 15, played three seasons with the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos (1986-89), and it was during that time when he was sexually abused by Graham James, the team’s general manager and head coach.
Kennedy went on to a nine-season professional career that included 310 NHL games with the Detroit Red Wings, Calgary Flames and Boston Bruins. But he was a broken man and wasn’t nearly the player he could have been under different circumstances.
To have known Kennedy then and to see what he has made of his life is to have witnessed a most remarkable transformation. In so doing, Kennedy has become one of the most influential and most respected people in our country.
Unfortunately, I don’t believe the WHL has an award for people in Kennedy’s situation. The WHL’s Governors and Distinguished Service awards are given to people who have contributed to the WHL and/or its teams in a distinguished fashion.
Perhaps it’s time the WHL inaugurated an award for former WHLers — players, coaches, front-office types, owners, whomever — who have gone on to bigger and better things outside the league.
Perhaps it could be called the Sheldon Kennedy Award.
Perhaps Sheldon Kennedy could be the first recipient.
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F Ben Maxwell (Kootenay, 2003-08) signed a one-year contract with Sochi (Russia, KHL). This season, Maxwell was an alternate captain with Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia, KHL). In 46 games, he had 14 goals and 13 assists. . . . He also played 12 regular-season games with league-champion Kärpät Oulu (Finland, Liiga), scoring three times and adding three assists. In 19 playoff games, he had seven goals and five assists. . . .
F Colton Yellow Horn (Lethbridge, Tri-City, 2003-08) signed a one-year contract with Orli Znojmo (Czech Republic, Erste Bank Liga). This season, with the Nippon Paper Cranes Kushiro (Japan, Asia HL), he had team highs in goals (21), assists (38) and points (59). He also led the team, at plus-23.
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In the AHL, the visiting Manchester Monarchs scored three second-period goals en route to a 6-3 victory over the Utica Comets in Game 4 of the Calder Cup final series. . . . The Monarchs, who are affiliated with the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, hold a 3-1 lead in the series, with Game 5 in Utica tonight. . . . Manchester, which was founded in 2001, has never won the Calder Cup. The Monarchs will move to Ontario, Calif., after this season. . . . The Monarchs jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, but the Comets, who are affiliated with the Vancouver Canucks, tied it before the period ended. . . . The Monarchs broke the tie with two PP goals and then F Nic Dowd got his second goal of the game at 19:49. . . . F Sven Baertschi scored his eighth playoff goal for the Comets. . . . Monarchs G Patrik Bartosak (Red Deer, 2011-14) stopped 22 shots as he made his first pro playoff start. . . . Attendance was 3,835.
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Oscar Johnson, who worked on the medical staff with the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies, has pleaded guilty to one charge involving the prescription of painkillers that may have ended up in the hands of the late Derek Boogaard. . . . Benjamin Weiser and John Branch of The New York Times have more right here.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Mark Parrish is the new head coach of the boys’ hockey team at Orono High School in Orono, Minn. Parrish, who played one season with the Seattle Thunderbirds (1997-98), retired as a player following the 2011-12 season. He began helping with the Orono hockey team late this season. . . . There’s more right here.
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THE CONCUSSION REPORT:

“The lawsuit against a Thayer Academy high school field hockey coach, accused of putting a player on the field with a concussion, highlights the need for player safety protocols, doctors and coaches say,” writes Lindsay Kalter of the Boston Herald.
“A Superior Court judge ruled that Amy Dugan, a junior at Braintree’s Thayer Academy in 2011, can sue coach Erin Cash for negligence. According to the decision in which a judge denied the defendant’s motion to dismiss, the player was hit in the head with a field hockey ball, and the coach failed to get the player evaluated.
“The player was put in a game five days later, when she suffered a second head injury.”
Kalter’s story is right here.

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Memorial Cup semifinal set . . . Remparts coach pays price for rant . . . Pats shuffle their deck

D Shaun Heshka (Everett, 2003-06) signed a one-year contract with MODO Örnsköldsvik (Sweden, SHL). This season, with Ak Bars Kazan (Russia, KHL), he had one goal and five assists in 22 games. He was traded to Admiral Vladivostok (Russia, KHL) on Oct. 31, and had 13 points, including two goals, in 35 games there. . . .

F Malte Strömwall (Tri-City, 2011-13) signed a one-year contract with AIK Stockholm (Sweden, Allsvenskan). This season, with Växjö (Sweden, SHL), he had two goals in 21 games. He also had one goal and one assist in 21 games with Lulea (Sweden, SHL). On loan to Asplöven Haparanda (Sweden, Allsvenskan), he had one goal in four games, and he had three goals in 12 games with HV71 Jönköping (Sweden, SHL). . . .

Darrell Hay (Tri-City, 1996-2000) has signed a one-year contract as a full-time assistant coach with the Sheffield Steelers (England, UK Elite). This season, with Sheffield, the defenceman had six goals and 19 assists in 65 games. . . . Hay, the son of Kamloops Blazers head coach Don Hay, remains registered as an active player for Sheffield for next season.
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It’ll be the WHL-champion Kelowna Rockets and the host Quebec Remparts in the Memorial Cup semifinal tonight in Quebec City. . . . The winner will meet the OHL-champion Oshawa Generals in Sunday’s final. . . . The Remparts advanced with a 5-2 victory over the QMJHL-champion Rimouski Oceanic before only 6,533 fans on Thursday night. . . . Attendance through seven games is 59,669, an average of 8,524. . . . I seem to recall attendance, or the perceived lack of same, being something of a story when the tournament was held in Saskatoon in 2013. That tournament featured nine games and drew 82,503 fans, an average of 9,167. . . . There should be more than 10,000 fans in Quebec City tonight. . . . This was the 17th time these two teams have met this season; the Oceanic finished with a 10-5-2 edge. Rimouski also went into

the tiebreaker having won its last six games against the Remparts at the Pepsi Colisée. . . . The Oceanic had posted a 4-0 victory over the Remparts in a round-robin game on Wednesday. After that game, Quebec head coach Philippe Boucher ripped the officiating — both referees were from the QMJHL. On Thursday, Boucher was fined $10,000. . . . The Kelowna Rockets were fined $500 after someone from their organization was critical of the officiating following a 4-3 tournament-opening loss to the Remparts. . . . Presumably, the difference is that Boucher performed his surgery in public, while the Kelowna official did it in private to CHL officials. . . . Adam Proteau of The Hockey News has more on Boucher and his rant right here. . . . After last night’s game, Boucher told reporters: “"I told my daughter there's no vacation this summer.” . . . Last night’s referees were Brett Iverson of the WHL and the OHL’s Mike Cairns. . . . Quebec F Jerome Verrier scored twice, his first goals in 15 games, while F Anthony Duclair and F Marc-Olivier Roy scored their first goals in nine games. . . . Verrier and Duclair had both left Wednesday’s game with injuries. . . . F Jeremy Lepine pulled Rimouski into a 2-2 tie at 16:07 of the second period. . . . However, Quebec F Adam Erne scored 47 seconds later and Verrier made it 4-2 at 19:19. . . . Roy iced it with his goal at 11:31 of the third. . . . Quebec G Zach Fucale, who didn’t finished one night earlier, stopped 30 shots, four more than Rimouski’s Philippe Desrosiers. . . . The Remparts were 1-for-4 on the PP; the Oceanic was 1-for-3. . . . This is the final hockey event to be held in the Pepsi Colisée, and you can bet the Remparts are using that for motivation.

(1.) Rimouski & Quebec playing each other for 17th time this season. Announcer says "Unheard of!". How cute....

— Thom Beuning (@ThomBeuning) May 29, 2015

(2.). @SeattleTbirds and @pdxwinterhawks played each other 18 times this season. Have played 19 times in a season in the past.

— Thom Beuning (@ThomBeuning) May 29, 2015

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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 (semifinal): Kelowna vs. Quebec, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday (championship): Oshawa vs. Kelowna/Quebec winner, 7 p.m.
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The Regina Pats did a bit of shuffling in their front office on Thursday. . . . John Paddock now is the senior vice-president of hockey operations, general manager and head coach, while assistant coach Dave Struch has added assistant GM to his duties. . . . Gord Pritchard, the director of corporate affairs, now is the assistant to the general manager. . . . The Pats also have extended the contracts of goaltender coach Rob Muntain, athletic therapist Greg Mayer and equipment manager Gord Cochran. . . . As well, they announced that assistant coach Darrin McKechnie won’t be returning. According to a news release, McKechnie, “an Inspector with the Regina Police Service (RPS), recently received a promotion.” . . . The Pats now are looking to add an assistant coach to their staff.
Greg Harder of the Regina Leader-Post reports that Struch’s promotion is all part of the Pats’ succession plan.
From Harder’s story:
“There’s no question that we think Dave is our next head coach,” offered Pats president Todd Lumbard. “John has indicated that potentially his coaching days may be coming to an end, not right away, but at some point (in the not-too-distant future). Dave is the logical successor. If the timing can work out, that would be our plan for sure. John would move fully into the GM’s role and Dave would become our head coach. It’s not written in stone but that’s something we have talked about.”
Harder added: “The tentative plan is for the 60-year-old Paddock to remain behind the bench for the duration of his four-year contract, which he signed last summer to become the team’s head coach and senior vice-president of hockey operations. He absorbed the general manager’s title on Thursday as part of a minor shuffling of the hockey operations department, highlighted by Struch accepting a larger role.”
Harder also reported: “Although Struch was already under contract for the next three seasons, the Pats felt compelled to make a pre-emptive strike in order to keep him. He was regarded as a potential candidate for WHL head-coaching vacancies with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, Kootenay Ice and Vancouver Giants.
All three clubs are believed to have asked the Pats for permission to speak to him. According to sources, he was a leading candidate for the job in Lethbridge before pulling himself out of the running to stay in Regina.”
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Bruce Vance worked his last day with the Prince Albert Raiders on Thursday. He spent seven years with
the Lethbridge Hurricanes and 14 with the Raiders. He now is moving on to work for the City of Prince Albert.
In honour of his leaving the Raiders, we have this note from Liane Sadlemyer Vance:

BRUCE VANCE

I am posting this for Carrie Georgeson, Eryn Georgeson-Tait, Kim Pagé who have expressed sadness on this day that Bruce Vance is leaving the Prince Albert Raiders. I have known Bruce for almost 30 years and his nicknames and sayings get in your head and won't go away (just ask his children)!! So here are the top 10 Bruce Vance(isms) for you ladies to give you a laugh. And remember when you catch yourself saying them over and over again, you have Bruce to thank (please note these are Bruce Vance Raider(isms), he makes up new sets depending on his environment.
10. ARGOOOOOOOSSSS!!!! (This would be yelled at random times, not necessarily when the Argos are playing)
9. Corksoaker!
8. 4,5, 6!!
7. Meow (this is more of a sound as opposed to a saying)
6. Smile and nod...
5. It's a great day for hockey
4. NUGGET what are you doing????
3. NOTHING!!!
2. Let's do this, it's our time
1. Win or lose..........
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THE COACHING GAME:

Geoff Grimwood, who had been working with the Victoria Royals, is the new general manager and head coach of the SJHL’s Kindersley Klippers. . . . Grimwood spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach with the Royals. He also oversaw the major midget South Island Royals for parts of three seasons. . . . Before that, he was an assistant coach with the BCHL’s Powell River Kings for two seasons. . . . He replaces Rockie Zinger, whose contract wasn’t renewed.
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If your organization is making a change or has vacancies that you are trying to fill, email Taking Note at gregg@takingnote.ca, and I’ll let the hockey crowd that follows this blog know all about it.
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In the AHL, the visiting Utica Comets scored a 4-1 victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins last night, to take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal. F Sven Baertschi scored Utica’s first three goals. . . . Baertschi, who was acquired by the parent Vancouver Canucks from the Calgary Flames during the season, scored three second-period goals in a span of 8:36. . . . Utica F Jake Virtanen, who played this season with the Calgary Hitmen, drew an assist on Baertschi’s third goal. That was Virtanen’s first professional point. . . . Attendance was 5,122. . . . The Comets and Griffins will play again tonight and Sunday in Grand Rapids. . . .
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F Radel Fazleev of the Calgary Hitmen has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. Fazleev, 19, was selected by the Flyers in the sixth round of the NHL’s 2014 draft. . . . A native of Kazan, Russia, he had 51 points, including 18 goals, in 71 games this season, his second with the Hitmen. . . .
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The Brandon Wheat Kings revealed earlier in the week that they have sold more than 1,200 season-tickets with two weeks left before their early bird deadline. A year ago, with two weeks to the deadline, the Wheat Kings said they had sold 1,100 season-tickets. A year ago, when the deadline arrived in June, that total was at 1,600. . . . The Wheat Kings, who lost in the WHL’s championship final earlier this month, are expected to contend again next season.
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“Rowan Stringer’s fatal head injury on a high school rugby field could have been prevented if those around her had some basic knowledge of concussion management, an internationally renowned concussion expert told an inquest Thursday into the teenager’s death,” writes Chris Cobb of the Ottawa Citizen. “Despite the proliferation of publicly available information about concussions and concussion management, Toronto neurologist Charles Tator said, it is a major concern that none of it appears to have reached Rowan, her peers, coaches or teachers.” . . . Stringer, 17, died in May 2013, four days after being injured. . . . The inquest in Ottawa has been ongoing and the jury is expected to bring back recommendations next week. . . . Cobb’s story is right here.
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These are interesting days with the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, with Klay Thompson appearing to have suffered a concussion on Wednesday night, just a couple of nights after Steph Curry, the league’s MVP, took a hard fall and landed on his head. . . . Jesus Gomez of sbnation.com has more right here.
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And so it begins. #newboards #whlcanes #yql pic.twitter.com/t1zp2C9DzJ

— LethbridgeHurricanes (@WHLHurricanes) May 28, 2015

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A look back at the series that was . . .

With the Kamloops Blazers and Portland Winterhawks set to meet in the WHL’s Western Conference final, here’s a look back at the seven-game second-round series between these teams that so captivated hockey fans last spring.
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Game 1: Kamloops 3 at Portland 5 — The Blazers led 2-0 after a period and 3-1 with 11 minutes to play in the third period. . . . Portland tied it with goals by F Sven Baertschi and F Ty Rattie just 1:07 apart. . . . F Brad Ross got the winner on a power play at 14:47. . . . The play everyone was talking about occurred at 18:36 of the third period when Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave ventured behind his net to play a puck and was hit by Portland F Oliver Gabriel, who was given a minor for goaltender interference. He later was suspended for four games. . . . Rattie had two goals and two assists; Baertschi finished one and three. . . . F Brendan Ranford had two assists for Kamloops.
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Game 2: Kamloops 1 at Portland 4 — Baertschi scored twice and G Mac Carruth stopped 39 shots for the Winterhawks. . . . Cheveldave had finished Game 1, but wasn’t feeling well by the morning of Game 2, so Cam Lanigan started and made 30 saves. . . . The Blazers had Taran Kozun on the bench in support of Lanigan. . . . Baertschi scored at 19:14 of the second period, F Taylor Leier made it 2-0 just 56 seconds into the third and F Cam Reid upped it to 3-0 just 19 seconds later. . . . Among the 22 penalties was a double minor to Kamloops F JC Lipon for butt-ending Rattie.
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Game 3: Portland 5 at Kamloops 2 — The Winterhawks scored three shorthanded goals, two of them by Ross. . . . Portland F Taylor Peters drew three shorthanded assists. . . . Leier broke a 1-1 tie with a shorthanded goal at 5:16 of the second, with Ross scoring 33 seconds later. . . . Kamloops was 1-for-9 on the PP; Portland was 1-for-4.
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Game 4: Portland 4 at Kamloops 5 — The Winterhawks, with a 3-0 lead in the series, led this game 4-0 at 10:58 of the first period and 4-1 going into the second. . . . Portland maintained that momentum shifted 12 minutes into the first period after an unpenalized Lipon hit that knocked Rattie out of the game and sent him to hospital with what turned out to be a neck injury. Lipon scored immediately after the hit to get Kamloops on the board. . . . Ranford tied the scored at 6:03 of the third period and F Dylan Willick got the winner at 7:37 on the power play. . . . Ranford also had two assists. . . . Portland also was unhappy about a third-period check to the head by Kamloops D Austin Madaisky on Leier. . . . Things definitely were beginning to heat up.
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Game 5: Kamloops 7 at Portland 2 — F Jordan DePape had two goals and two assists and Madaisky had three assists as the Blazers won going away. . . . The Blazers were without Lipon, who drew a one-game suspension under supplemental discipline for his Game 4 hit on Rattie, who played. . . . The visitors led 2-0 and 4-1 at the period breaks. . . . Kamloops F Tim Bozon beat Carruth on a penalty shot at 6:30 of the third and when F Chase Souto scored at 7:35, the Winterhawks changed goaltenders with Brendan Burke cleaning up. . . . Lanigan stopped 34 shots.
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Game 6: Portland 6 at Kamloops 7 — Portland F Brendan Leipsic’s power-play goal at 11:24 of the second period gave the Winter hawks a 5-2 lead. . . . It was still 5-2 with 15 minutes left in the third period. . . . And then the comeback began. . . . Kamloops D Marek Hrbas got it started at 5:55, on the PP. . . . DePape scored at 8:49 and F Aspen Sterzer beat Carruth 11 seconds later. . . . When F Colin Smith scored a PP goal at 15:21 the Blazers amazingly had the lead. . . . The joy was short-lived, however, as Reid pulled Portland into a 6-6 tie at 15:47. . . . Kamloops D Bronson Maschmeyer won it with his second goal of the game at 19:39. . . . Lanigan stopped 24 shots, while Carruth turned aside 36. . . . In something of a surreal moment, the Kamloops fans stood and cheered until the Blazers returned to the ice surface from their dressing room and took a curtain call.
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Game 7: Kamloops 0 at Portland 2 — F Marcel Noebels scored at 1:01 of the first period and Carruth made it stand up with 32 saves. . . . Leipsic added an insurance marker at 9:49 of the third. . . . According to The Oregonian’s Paul Buker, when it was all over Portland radio analyst Andy Kemper said: “This was a war, folks, an absolute war.”
— GREGG DRINNAN


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Jade Galbraith (Saskatoon, 2000-01) signed a one-year contract extension with the Braehead Clan Glasgow (Scotland, UK Elite). Galbraith led the league in scoring and assists, was a first team all-star selection, and was the Elite League Player of the Year as he posted 38 goals and 63 assists in 58 games for the Clan last season. . .  .
F Tyker Czuba, who played in one playoff game for Red Deer in 2003, signed a one-year contract with Miskolci Jegesmedve (Hungary, MOL Liga). He had 27 goals and 11 assists in 25 games for Montpellier (France, Division 1) last season. Czuba finished in a tie for most goals in Division 1 last season.
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The latest edition of DubNation is available right here.
It’s more than 70 pages of major junior-related stuff, including some terrific photos, a feature on Portland Winterhawks star Sven Baertschi, a look at the artwork done by Taylor Vause of the Swift Current Broncos, a flashback to when Don Cherry played in the Memorial Cup.
It’s all created by Doyle Potenteau and it’s all free.
So . . . check it out!
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The NHL draft had hardly ended Saturday when the Columbus Blue Jackets, according to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Post-Dispatch, “notified four amateur scouts that they will not be back with the club — Brian Bates, Andrew Shaw, Artem Telepin and John Williams, who was assistant director of amateur scouting.” . . . Portzline reports that “Bates, Telepin and Williams had been with the Blue Jackets since before they took the ice for their inaugural season in 2000-01. Williams, who scouted Western Canada and especially the Western Hockey League, had a heavy hand in the Blue Jackets' last two No. 1 draft picks, Ryan Johansen (2010) and Ryan Murray (2012).”
It was only a year ago (June 7, 2011) when the Blue Jackets dumped Don Boyd, who was the assistant general manager, and Bob Strumm, their director of pro scouting.
“We believe it was time to make changes in key areas of our organization as we strive to build a championship-caliber team,” Scott Howson, the team’s VP of hockey operations and GM, said at the time.
Boyd had started with Columbus as director of amateur scouting in 1999. Strumm also had been there since 1999.
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It would seem that large goaltenders remain in vogue with NHL teams. The Goalie Guild (@The Goalie Guild) tweeted a draft breakdown by height. . . . Two at 6-foot-5. . . . Five at 6-foot-4. . . . Three at 6-foot-3. . . . Five at 6-foot-2. . . . Seven at 6-foot-1. . . . One each at 6-foot-0 and 5-foot-11. . . .
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Allan Maki of The Globe and Mail reports right here that Hockey Calgary’s desire to remove body checking for peewee players (ages 11 and 12) has been shot down after the city’s 24 associations voted, via secret ballot, to defeat two motions that would have gotten rid of checking prior to next season.
Never mind that a five-year-old study, comparing injuries in this age group between Alberta and Quebec, where hitting isn’t allowed, “showed there was a 33 per cent increase in injuries in Alberta and a higher risk of concussion,” Maki writes.
It will be interesting to see if Hockey Calgary experiences a decrease in registration as those youngsters who don’t want to be banged around gravitate to soccer or baseball or something less physical.


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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Josh Bonar (Kamloops, Vancouver, Regina) signed a one-year contract with Corona Brasov (Romania, Interliga). He had 20 goals and 17 assists in 30 games with Miskolci Jegesmedve (Hungary, Interliga) this season. . . .
F Pavel Brendl (Calgary, 1998-2001) signed a two-year contract and G Dusan Salficky (Tri-City, 1990-91) signed a one-year contract with Pardubice (Czech Republic, Extraliga). . . . Brendl had five goals and three assists in six games to start the season with Pardubice, then had two goals and three assists in 17 games for Rapperswil (Switzerland, NL A). . . . Salficky saw action with three teams this season, all on loan from Plzen (Czech Republic, Extraliga). He had a 3.52 GAA and a .897 save percentage in 12 games with Litomerice (Czech Republic, 1.Liga); 2.72 GAA and .916 save percentage in 24 games with Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic, Extraliga); and, a 3.14 GAA and a .906 save percentage in four games with Pardubice.
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The Kontinental Hockey League has completed its five-round entry draft during which 166 players were selected.
It was held in Chelyabinski and drew about 3,000 fans.
The complete draft is right here.
D Martin Gernat of the Edmonton Oil Kings was the first WHL player selected, going 19th overall to Salavat Yulaev.
F Sven Baertschi of the Portland Winterhawks was selected by Severstal in the third round.
D Spencer Humphries of the Calgary Hitmen was taken by Traktor Chelyabinsk in the fifth round. He was the fourth-last player selected.
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Here’s the lead to a story by Kevin Oklobzija of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle:
“To his Rochester Americans teammates, Sean McMorrow was the guy who never complained, the guy whose job it was to fight his own on-ice battles — and sometimes everyone else’s.
“To the children who attended area schools, who played at community recreation centers, read at public libraries and got well at local hospitals, he was a pro athlete with a big smile and an even bigger heart.
“But to the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office, McMorrow was a drug smuggler and drug trafficker, a guy who toted marijuana and money tainted with the smell of pot to and/or from his offseason home in Toronto.”
The complete story, and it’s a good one, is right here.
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Former WHL D Pat Pylypuik (Calgary, Lethbridge, 1986-91) is the commissioner of the Midwest Junior Hockey League, a junior A Tier III circuit that hopes to have 14 teams when it opens its first season in the fall.
James Cook of the Traverse City Record Eagle has that story right here.
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JUST NOTES:
F John Persson of the Red Deer Rebels has signed a three-year deal with the NHL’s New York Islanders. They selected him in the fifth round of the 2011 draft. . . . Persson, a 20-year-old Swede, played three seasons with the Rebels, picking up 130 points, including 63 goals, in 200 games. . . .
The Vancouver Giants have signed F Ty Ronning and F Jesse Roach. . . . Ronning, from Burnaby, B.C., was a first-round selection in the 2012 bantam draft. He is the son of former NHLer Cliff Ronning. . . . Roach, a third-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft, is from Quesnel, B.C., and is the brother of Calgary Hitmen D Alex Roach. . . .
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The incomparable Roy MacGregor writes right here about the difference between coaching defence and coaching offence, which explains why the game of hockey is going in a defensive direction right now. He also mentions micromanaging and over-coaching. Gee, you think?
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THE COACHING GAME:
Kelly Guard is the Prince Albert Raiders’ new goaltending coach. Guard, who is from Prince Albert, played two seasons with the Kelowna Rockets, helping them to a WHL title in 2003 and the Memorial Cup championship in 2004. He takes over from Evan Lindsay with the Raiders.

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Three former WHLers have committed to attend the U of Manitoba in Winnipeg and play for the Bisons. . . . F Paul Ciarelli, a native of Winnipeg, played the last four seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . F Aaron Lewadniuk, who is from Carman, Man., played two seasons (2008-10) with the Wheat Kings, before playing the last two seasons in the ECHL. . . . D Brock Sutherland, who is from Brandon, spent this season with the Calgary Hitmen. He also played with the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Tri-City Americans.
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Adam Proteau of The Hockey News looks at the menace that is shot-blocking and where the Stanley Cups playoff are headed. It’s right here and it isn’t pretty.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Jim McKenzie (Moose Jaw, Victoria, 1985-89) has agreed to a two-year contract extension as head coach of the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks. The deal carries through 2013-14. . . . McKenzie, 42, took over as head coach from the fired Kevin Patrick on Jan. 13 and went 8-19-6 as the Lumberjacks completed their second season in the USHL. . . .
Cary Eades is the new GM and head coach of the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede. Eades took the job a week after the U of North Dakota chose not to renew his contract as associate head coach. With the Stampede, he replaces Kevin Hartzell, who was dropped by a new ownership group after seven seasons with the organization.
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THE WHL FINAL:
The Edmonton Oil Kings and the Winterhawks meet tonight in Portland in Game 6. The Oil Kings lead the series 3-2 and can end it with a victory. A Portland victory sends the series back to Edmonton for Game 7 on Sunday. Yes, on Sunday!
The Oil Kings, Portland F Sven Baertschi told Kris Anderson of the Portland Tribune, “know that we're a little better than them. And we know that, too. We got enough skill and enough talent, and we have players who work hard enough to make sure we win those games.”
Anderson’s complete story is right here.
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Here is the schedule for the WHL’s championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup (all times local):
Thursday, May 3: Portland 2 at Edmonton 3 (7,466)
Friday, May 4: Portland 5 at Edmonton 1 (10,720)
Sunday, May 6: Edmonton 3 at Portland 4 (10,947)
Tuesday, May 8: Edmonton 4 at Portland 3 (OT) (10,947)
Thursday, May 10: Portland 3 at Edmonton 4 (11,077)
Saturday, May 12: at Portland (Rose Garden), 6 p.m.
x-Sunday, May 13: at Edmonton, 6 p.m.

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Ryan Clark of the Fargo, N.D., Forum spoke with Popeye Jones earlier this week and the father of D Seth Jones said it was a “no-brainer” for his son to choose to continue his hockey career with the Portland Winterhawks. Check out that piece right here.
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With the Portland Winterhawks having appeared in the last two WHL championship finals, it’s sometimes hard to remember that it wasn’t that long ago when this team was the laughingstock of major junior hockey.
Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune has a piece right here on how the Winterhawks climbed from the outhouse to the penthouse.
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The OHL on Thursday morning approved the sale of the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors by Eugene Melnyk to Elliott Kerr, a well-known Mississauga businessman who owns Landmark Sports Group, and partner David Livingston. . . . Melnyk owns the NHL’s Ottawa Senators. . . . The Mississauga franchise will undergo a change of name and colours before all is done. . . . James Boyd, the team’s GM and head coach, will remain in place. . . .
With Kerr purchasing the Majors, he had to divest himself of his ownership share in the OHL’s Guelph Storm. So, yesterday afternoon, the Storm announced that partners Rick Gaetz, Rick Hoyle and John Heeley had bought “the interest in the team previously held” by Kerr and Livingston. At the same time, Guelph head coach Scott Walker, the team announced, “has joined the Storm ownership group.”
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Art Monk, a Hall of Fame receiver, is the lead plaintiff in yet one more lawsuit filed against the NFL and Riddell Inc., the helmet manufacturer, over the issue of head injuries. According to the claim, Moss, who played 14 seasons with the Washington Redskins, has “short-term memory loss, headaches and speech difficulties” from multiple concussions.
The latest lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles and has 63 plaintiffs. The NFL now is facing lawsuits involving more than 2,000 former players.
There is more right here.
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I didn’t see/hear Ron MacLean’s intro for Hockey Night in Canada on Wednesday night (sorry, but if I never hear another of his puns it will be too soon), but I certainly read all about it later. If you’re on the Internet, how could you miss it? Anyway . . . Cathal Kelly of the Toronto Star has a terrific piece right here on MacLean’s ramble and more.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The SPHL’s Hunstville Havoc removed the interim from head coach Glenn Detulleo’s title on Thursday. He now is the permanent director of hockey operations and head coach. Detulleo served as interim head coach for the last five games of the regular season and two rounds of playoff games. He had been an active player before retiring on March 8 and moving behind the bench to replace Randy Murphy. Detulleo now has a three-year contract in his hip pocket. . . .
The BCHL’s Trail Smoke Eaters have signed Randy Buffie as director of scouting and assistant general manager. He had been working as a B.C. regional scout for the Prince George Spruce Kings. . . . The Smoke Eaters also announced that they have hired Brent Demerais and Bill Spring as B.C.-based scouts.
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THE WHL FINAL:
Game 5 . . .
In Edmonton, D Mark Pysyk’s goal with 55.2 seconds left in the third period gave the Oil Kings a 4-3 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. . . . The Oil Kings lead the series 3-2 with Game 6 in Portland on Saturday night. . . . A seventh game, if needed, would be played Sunday in Edmonton. . . . Pysyk, the Oil Kings’ captain, was the franchise’s first bantam draft pick, taken third overall in 2007. . . . Portland F Marcel Noebels scored at 1:45 of the first period to get things rolling. . . . Edmonton F Jordan Peddle tied it at 18:00. . . . Edmonton D Griffin Reinhart gave his side its first lead at 4:44 of the second, only to have Portland F Ty Rattie tie it on the PP at 5:27. . . . Rattie’s 19th goal of these playoffs tied Portland’s single-playoff record set by F Dan Woodley in 1987. . . . Peddle, who drew an assist on Reinhart’s goal, then got his second of the game, at 7:20, to give the Oil Kings a 3-2 edge. . . . Peddle, who turned 21 on March 5, is from Elbow, Sask. He was acquired from the Swift Current Broncos early in the season. He finished with 25 points in 70 games, going 10-12–22 in 66 games with the Oil Kings. In 18 games in these playoffs, he has 12 points, including six goals. . . . At 5:07 of the third, Portland F Sven Baertschi scored his 14th goal of the spring to tie the score. . . . Baertschi has seven goals in this series and has scored in six straight games. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 28 shots, three fewer than Portland’s Mac Carruth. . . . Portland was 1-4 on the PP; Edmonton was 0-3. . . . Attendance was 11,077. . . . Game 6 in Portland already is sold out.
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Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal was at the game and writes right here about F Jordan Peddle of the Oil Kings and the playoff run he is on.
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Allow me to remind you once again that if you are on Twitter you should be following @WHLFacts. . . . He tweeted Thursday afternoon: “Tonight, Troy Rutkowski & Joe Morrow will tie Troy Mick for the 2nd most playoff games played in @pdxwinterhawks franchise history (54).”
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In the QMJHL, the Saint John Sea Dogs swept the Rimouski Oceanic from the championship final last night to become the first team, other than the host Shawinigan Cataractes, to qualify for the MasterCard Memorial Cup. The Sea Dogs are defending MC champs.
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John MacKinnon of the Edmonton Journal writes right here about the Edmonton Oil Kings and attendance at home playoff games. Why, he wonders, haven’t there been 15,000 fans at some games?
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Portland D Troy Rutkowski, who tweeted this on Thursday afternoon: “Thanks to the Sutton for putting us above construction #ruinedmynap #32swingspernail #youshouldbefired”
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Here is the schedule for the WHL’s championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup (all times local):
Thursday, May 3: Portland 2 at Edmonton 3 (7,466)
Friday, May 4: Portland 5 at Edmonton 1 (10,720)
Sunday, May 6: Edmonton 3 at Portland 4 (10,947)
Tuesday, May 8: Edmonton 4 at Portland 3 (OT) (10,947)
Thursday, May 10: Portland 3 at Edmonton 4 (11,077)
Saturday, May 12: at Portland (Rose Garden), 6 p.m.
x-Sunday, May 13: at Edmonton, 6 p.m.
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Finally, have you heard about the Bikini Hockey League? No. . . . Keith Whitmire has the story right here.

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Ahh, you have to love social media.
Before the Portland Winterhawks were able to announce a deal with the Everett Silvertips for D Seth Jones, the names of two players included in the swap had surfaced on Twitter.
D Ben Betker, one of four players the Winterhawks gave up in the exchange, changed his twitter profile to read “Product of Cranbrook BC, Canada. Everett Silvertips of the #WHL. #LivingTheDream.”
F Mitch Skapski also had changed his Twitter profile to reflect the trade.
As it turns out, the Winterhawks also sent along F Tyler Sandhu and D Reece Willcox in the deal.
It all was made official in a late afternoon news conference in Portland.
Betker, a defenceman who turns 18 on Sept. 29, had 18 points for the BCHL’s Westside Warriors this season. Undrafted, he was placed on Portland’s protected list in June. He had signed with the Winterhawks.
Skapski, the younger brother of Kootenay Ice G Mackenzie Skapski, was a fourth-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft. Mitch, who is from Abbotsford, B.C., had 49 points in 40 games with the major midget Fraser Valley Bruins.
Sandhu, a second-round pick by Portland in the 2011 bantam draft, is 16 and also signed with the Winterhawks. From Surrey, B.C., he had 45 points in 38 games with the major midget Vancouver Canadians this season.
Willcox, who also is from Surrey, had 23 points in 52 games with the BCHL’s Merritt Centennials. Now 18, Willcox was a third-round selection in the 2009 bantam draft. He has committed to attend Cornell U and play for the Big Red.
The Silvertips, then, acquired the rights to four players in exchange for Jones, who is projected as an early pick in the NHL’s 2013 draft.
All indications are that the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Jones, 17, may well be one of those once-in-a-lifetime players. But he wasn’t going to report to Everett, so the Silvertips had no choice but to trade his rights. They also got an undisclosed bantam pick from Portland just for the right to speak with Jones and his family.
Right now this looks like win-win for both teams, but don’t forget the adage about the team getting the best player winning the trade.
Garry Davidson, the Silvertips’ general manager, spent almost four full seasons as the Winterhawks’ director of player personnel. So he certainly is familiar with the players he acquired from Portland, having drafted three of them and listed the other.
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ASK THE COMMISSIONER:
From a WHL fan, via email:
“When did the WHL start webcasting the signing of players? And why not do it for everyone?”
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Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail weighed in Tuesday with his view of the Stanley Cup playoffs vs. the world championship.
“The Stanley Cup playoffs, for some years now, has been a tournament run largely in reverse,” he writes, “with the climax and greatest interest in Round 1 followed by a sliding war of attrition that culminates in June with exhausted players and weary fans just wishing it would get over with so summer could start. It does not help in Canada when they schedule Sunday afternoon games when cabin-fevered Canadians are thinking far more of bikes and canoes than of skates and pucks.
“The Stanley Cup playoffs are also so overly coached that, inevitably, defence rules. Far easier to teach trapping and shot-blocking than knocking the goalie’s water bottle off the top of the net with a high wrister.”
He’s right, you know, and his complete column is right here.
You know that there is a problem when the play-by-play voices and the analysts talk more about blocking shots than scoring goals and when they make reference to the team having blocked the most shots having won the most games.
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In a column that appeared Tuesday, Gregg Doyel, a national columnist at CBSSports.com, tries to answer this question: “Knowing what awaits NFL players after retirement, is it ethically defensible to watch it – and enjoy it – as they do this to each other?” . . . That column is right here and it’s food for thought.
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JUST NOTES: The 2013 U-17 World Hockey Challenge will be held in the Quebec communities of Victoriaville and Drummondville, running from Dec. 28 through Jan. 4, 2013. . . . The 10-team tournament always features five teams from Canada (Atlantic, Ontario, Pacific, Quebec, West) and five international teams. . . . G Matt Tomkins, who played this season with the AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders, has committed to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes starting with the 2013-14 season. You will recall that the Vancouver Giants at one point were taking a long, hard look at Tomkins. . . . F Jordan DePape of the Kamloops Blazers lives with Type 1 diabetes and is preparing to head out on the Diabetes Heroes Tour for a second straight year. Last year, the tour made three stops; this time, it’ll stop in five cities – St John’s (May 14), Barrie (May 15), Winnipeg (May 16), Edmonton (May 17) and Prince George (May 18). The tour also includes country singer George Canyon. DePape appeared on the morning show at CTV Winnipeg on Tuesday. There’s more information on the tour, including how to get tickets, right here. . . .
In the spring of 1991, the Oshawa Generals, coached by Rick Cornacchia, and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, under Ted Nolan, met in the OHL’s championship final. On Tuesday, the two men went head-to-head one more time, this time at the world championship in Stockholm. Cornacchia is Italy’s head coach, while Nolan fills the same role with Latvia. . . . The Greyhounds won the OHL title in 1991; on Tuesday, Latvia won, 5-0. . . . The video that was shot and put together by Chris Rumble at Seattle Children’s Hospital really has gone viral. On Tuesday afternoon, Kelly Clarkson sent this tweet to her 1,344,307 followers: “Oh my goodness y'all have to see this! It's beautiful! I can't wait to visit these kids and nurses! It's Seattle Children's Hospital, I believe. God Bless y'all!” That video, if you haven’t seen it, is right here. As of the wee hours this morning, it was closing in on 177,000 views.
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It would seem that 20-year-old goaltenders are in demand in the WHL.
On Tuesday, the Seattle Thunderbirds dealt a 2013 third-round bantam draft pick to the Calgary Hitmen for G Brandon Glover, who turns 20 on Aug. 21.
The Thunderbirds, of course, are in the market for a goaltender as they don’t expect to get Calvin Pickard back for his 20-year-old season. Pickard is likely to play somewhere in the Colorado Avalanche’s system.
Glover went 20-12-0, 3.11, .885 with the Hitmen last season. They acquired him from the Moose Jaw Warriors prior to the 2010-11 season. A native of Victoria, he was selected by the Warriors in the sixth round of the 2007 bantam draft.
With Glover gone, Chris Driedger, 18, is No. 1 on the Calgary depth chart.
The Thunderbirds, who didn’t qualify for the playoffs this season, now show 11 20-year-olds on their roster – Glover, G Michael Salmon, Pickard, D Dave Sutter, D Braeden Laroque, D Brad Deagle, D Mitch Spooner, F Chance Lund, F Luke Lockhart, F Brendan Rouse and F Sean Aschim — but only six or seven of those are serious contenders for the three spots.
Each team is allowed to dress a maximum of three 20-year-olds per game. In fact, teams must each declare a maximum of three 20-year-olds at a cutdown date in mid-October.
On Thursday, during the bantam draft in Calgary, the Lethbridge Hurricanes acquired G Ty Rimmer, 20, from the Tri-City Americans, while the Prince Albert Raiders got G Luke Siemens, 20, from the Moose Jaw Warriors.
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THE COACHING GAME:
Kurt Kleinendorst won’t be back as head coach of the Binghamton Senators, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators. Kleinendorst’s two-year contract is up in June but he made the decision not to return. "I've thought long and hard about it," Kleinendorst told Joy Lindsay of the Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin. "I have nothing but good things to say about (general manager) Bryan Murray and the organization, and the same is true for Binghamton. It's been one of my nicer stops along the way. The people here are wonderful. The players that I've experienced for two years have been wonderful." . . . Binghamton put up a 71-70-8-7 regular-season record under Kleinendorst and went 16-7 in the playoffs, including winning the AHL championship a year ago. . . .
Kevin Hartzell won’t be back as GM and head coach of the USHL’s Sioux Falls, S.D.,  Stampede. Hartzell just completed his seventh season with the Stampede, going 224-152-44. The Stampede recently underwent a change in ownership. A new coach is expected to be in place may May 22, which is when the USHL holds its entry draft. . . . Ryan Clark of the Fargo Forum has more on the Hartzell situation right here.
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THE WHL FINAL:
Game 4 . . .
In Portland, F Rhett Rachinski scored twice, including once in OT, to give the Edmonton Oil Kings a 4-3 victory over the Winterhawks. . . . The championship final now is tied 2-2 with the teams returning via shared charter flight to Edmonton for Game 5 on Thursday. They flew out of Portland right after last night’s game. . . . A sixth game is scheduled for Portland’s Rose Garden on Saturday. . . . The Rose Garden was home to a concert by The Black Keys on Monday night and ice conditions worsened as the game progressed. . . . Rachinski was able to corral a loose puck after Portland F Oliver Gabriel wasn’t able to handle a pass from D William Wrenn. Rachinski, 20, then scored his sixth goal of these playoffs at 9:07 of OT. . . . The Oil Kings were in OT for the first time in these playoffs; Portland now is 2-1 in extra time. . . . The Oil Kings had taken a 3-1 lead into the third period only to have Portland F Sven Baertschi scored twice, at 3:49 and 9:06. . . . He now has 13 playoff goals and is tied with linemate Ty Rattie for the postseason points lead, each with 32. . . . Baertschi has goals in five straight playoff games. . . . F Marcel Noebels opened the scoring for Portland at 1:21 of the first period, with Rachinski pulling his side even at 15:50. . . . F Tyler Maxwell gave the Oil Kings the lead at 8:17 of the second with his first goal of the final. Interestingly, Maxwell is one of the veterans whom Edmonton head coach Derek Laxdal said prior to Game 4 had to be better. . . . Edmonton F Stephane Legault scored for a 3-1 lead with 56 seconds left in the second. . . . Edmonton G Laurent Brossoit stopped 39 shots, one more than Portland’s Mac Carruth. . . . Each team was 0-2 on the PP. . . . Attendance was 10,947.
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Here is the schedule for the WHL’s championship final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup (all times local):
Thursday, May 3: Portland 2 at Edmonton 3 (7,466)
Friday, May 4: Portland 5 at Edmonton 1 (10,720)
Sunday, May 6: Edmonton 3 at Portland 4 (10,947)
Tuesday, May 8: Edmonton 4 at Portland 3 (OT) (10,947)
Thursday, May 10: at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 12: at Portland (Rose Garden), 6 p.m.
x-Sunday, May 13: at Edmonton, 6 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.