Hurricanes' new coach is . . . Robison reacts to Lethbridge vote . . . Ex-Seattle goalie to coach Ravens

The Lethbridge Hurricanes will introduce a new head coach on Thursday afternoon and social media speculation has it that the new man is Brent Kisio. . . . Kisio has spent the past eight seasons with the Calgary Hitmen, moving from video coach/assistant coach to associate coach. . . . The son of former Hitmen head coach Kelly Kisio, Brent played four seasons at the U of Nebraska-Omaha, graduating with a degree in criminology. . . . He has been Calgary’s associate coach for three seasons. . . .
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes and assistant coach Bryan Maxwell mutually decided to go their separate ways on Tuesday. Maxwell, a veteran WHL coach, is a former Hurricanes general manager and head coach (1995-03) who returned as an assistant last summer.
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The fallout and reaction continues from the Hurricanes shareholders’ meeting that took place in Lethbridge on Monday evening.
At that meeting, attendees voted 68 per cent in favour of moving forward with the process to sell the franchise. However, that wasn’t enough as the Hurricanes’ constitution calls for a 75 per cent majority in order to go ahead. Thus, the franchise will remain in the hands of the community.
Interestingly, Mike Moore, the general manager and vice-president of business operations of the rival Calgary Hitmen, attended the meeting. It seems the NHL’s Calgary Flames, who own the Hitmen, own 86 shares in the Hurricanes.
All of which leads to this question: What are the optics of one WHL team, a privately owned team at that, owning shares in a community-owned rival?
The Hitmen, of course, are owned by the NHL’s Calgary Flames. Did the Flames own a piece of the Hurricanes when they purchased the Hitmen in 1997? If they did, why weren’t the Flames forced to divest themselves of those shares at that time?
Ron Robison, the WHL commissioner, addressed that issue in an interview with Pat Siedlecki, the news director at CJOC in Lethbridge:
“It’s a historical matter that has not been resolved and we will certainly be addressing that . . . the reality is that the Flames do have shares that were acquired many years ago and remain in a position to exercise those rights under the shareholder agreement. Consequently, they were eligible and had the right to attend the meeting.”
Asked if it was a conflict, Robison replied:
“It is certainly under private ownership, but it remains for interpretation under community ownership. Our view is that the matter needs to be addressed and will be addressed in the near future with both the Lethbridge Hurricanes and the Calgary Hitmen.”
Meanwhile, Robison told Siedlecki that the WHL has to “respect the excision of the shareholders.”
Robison added that there was an obvious sign that “the majority wish to go that direction, but at the end of the day the constitution stands with respect to 75 per cent as a requirement. . . . Consequently, the community ownership will continue in Lethbridge and we intend to get fully behind the community ownership and the board to support them to the full extent.”
Robison, who early in May had recommended to shareholders that they sell the franchise to private interests, did admit to being surprised by Monday’s decision.
“I guess I would be a little bit, only because I think there was a strong movement in that direction,” he stated. “Now we need to move on to do what we need to do to support and strengthen the community ownership.”
Asked if the franchise might still be privatized down the road, Robison said: “The only way that would occur is if the club could no longer meet its financial obligations, and we are hopeful that’s not going to be the case. We have to show every confidence in the board and their ability to turn things around. . . . We are going to watch very carefully and ensure that the business plan is realistic.”
The complete interview is right here. It runs five minutes 42 seconds.
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Despite the fact that F Connor McDavid and his Erie Otters weren’t in the Memorial Cup tournament, the championship game, between the Oshawa Generals and Kelowna Rockets, did quite well in terms of TV viewership. In fact, it drew the second largest Memorial Cup audience in Sportsnet history -- an average viewership of 759,000. . . . Chris Zelkovich of Yahoo! Sports Canada has more right here.
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Tom Gaglardi, the owner of the NHL’s Dallas Stars and the majority owner of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, wasn’t in court Tuesday as the Crown’s appeal of an earlier judgment was heard. . . . The Crown has asked that fines against Gaglardi and his company, Northland Properties, be doubled after both were convicted of damaging salmon habitat. . . . Tim Petruk of Kamloops This Week has that story right here.
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Don't forget to check out our poll over there on the right, and take a stab at picking the next head coach of the Vancouver Giants.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Danny Lorenz, a former WHL goaltender, has signed on as the head coach of the Seattle Ravens, who are preparing for their first season in the seven-team Northern Pacific Hockey League. . . . Lorenz, 45, played four seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds (1986-90) before going on to a 14-season pro career. . . . Of late, he has been the hockey director at the Kent Valley Hockey Association. . . . The NPHL is a junior league with teams playing a 42-game regular season. The other teams are the Cheney Icehawks, Eugene Generals, West Sound Warriors, Wenatchee Wolves, Bellingham Blazers and Tri-City Outlaws.
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The Regina Pats have signed D Dawson Barteaux, who was the 14th overall selection in the WHL’s 2015 bantam draft. Barteaux, from Foxwarren, Man., played this season with the Yellowhead Chiefs, who play in the Winnipeg bantam AAA league. He had 27 points, including seven goals, in 31 games. . . . Barteaux was one of 34 prospects to attend the Pats’ spring camp last weekend.
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The Kamloops Blazers have signed F James Shepard, who was their first selection in the 2015 bantam draft. He was the 22nd player selected, taken with the first pick of the second round. . . . The 5-foot-8, 155-pound Shepard, who is from West Vancouver, had 111 points, including 32 goals, in 61 games with the North Shore Winter Club’s bantam AAA team that won the Western Canadian bantam championship. . . . It is expected that Shepard will play with the major midget Vancouver-Northwest Giants in 2015-16. . . . The Blazers now have signed their first two picks from the 2015 bantam draft. D Devan Harrison of Dysart, Sask., who was taken three picks after Shepard, signed on May 13.
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In the AHL, a couple of former WHL coaches have guided their teams into the Calder Cup final. . . . Travis Green and his Utica Comets scored a 2-0 victory over the visiting Grand Rapids Griffins last night to win the Western Conference final, 4-2. . . . The Comets (Vancouver Canucks) will meet Mike Stothers and his Manchester Monarchs (Los Angeles Kings) in the final. The series will follow a 2-3-2 format with Games 1 and 2 in Manchester, N.H., on Saturday and Sunday. . . . The teams had the AHL’s top two regular-season records. . . . The Comets are in their second AHL season. The Monarchs are moving to Ontario, Calif., after this season. . . . The two teams have never played against each other. . . . Last night, F Cory Conacher scored at 3:16 of the second period and F Alexandre Grenier added an empty-netter at 18:46 of the third. . . . Utica G Jacob Markstrom stopped 21 shots. . . . Attendance was 3,835.
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F Spencer Asuchak and F Dyson Stevenson, both former WHLers, each had a goal and an assist last night as the host Allen Americans scored a 5-2 victory over the South Carolina Stingrays in Game 2 of the ECHL’s championship final. . . . The series, using a 3-3-1 format, is tied 1-1 with Game 3 in Allen tonight. . . . Stevenson scored his second playoff goal at 6:05 of the first period to open the scoring. Asuchak’s 11th playoff goal, at 4:43 of the third, gave Allen a 4-1 lead. . . . Attendance was 3,804. . . . Asuchak, from Kamloops, played with the Tri-City Americans and Prince George Cougars (2008-12). . . . Stevenson, from Shaunavon, Sask., played for the Regina Pats (2010-13).

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Commissioner urges shareholders to sell 'Canes . . . Portland gets small reprieve . . . Bjorkstrand to worlds

MONDAY’S GAME:

No Game Scheduled.

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Ron Robison, the WHL commissioner, was in Lethbridge on Monday evening to speak to Hurricanes’ shareholders. The gathering was closed to the public and to the media.
Afterwards, Robison told local media that he had told shareholders that “given the team’s current financial position, I recommend they strongly consider private ownership.”
The franchise has been headed in that direction since its last annual general meeting. At that meeting, a motion was put forward asking that shareholders entertain a sale. Next up will be a special meeting at which shareholders will vote on whether to hold a vote on the sale. The date for that meeting will be set sometime in the next three weeks.
Paul Kingsmith of Global TV has more right here.
One paragraph in Kingsmith’s report reads: “Should shareholders choose to sell, they would have a say in who the team is sold to, although final approval rests with the WHL’s board of governors. Robison stresses the league favours local owners, and points to the Kamloops Blazers as the ideal template of how a team can successfully transition from community to private ownership.”
The Blazers were sold by shareholders to Tom Gaglardi, Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla, Mark Recchi and Darryl Sydor prior to the 2007-08 season. While those five all have ties to Kamloops, it would be a reach to call any of them “local.” Recchi is the only one of the five who was born in Kamloops, but his appearances here have lessened with time.
Also, perhaps Robison has forgotten how messy things were around Kamloops in the months leading up to the sale. Sheesh! I seem to recall both parties appearing in B.C. Supreme Court before all the smoke had cleared. And we won’t even get into the hullabaloo that took place when Mike Priestner, now the owner of the Saskatoon Blades, got involved by making an offer to purchase the Blazers. At one point, Jim Pattison — yes, that Jim Pattison! — was said to be contemplating making an offer.
Perhaps the commissioner has forgotten that the Blazers’ shareholders voted during the summer of 2006 not to sell the franchise. At that time, it wasn’t a case of not selling to the Gaglardi group; it was a case of not wanting to sell to anyone.
Over the winter of 2006-07, a lot of shares changed hands and ended up with folks who voted to sell to the Gaglardi group at a meeting during the summer of 2007.
Under new ownership, the Blazers have struggled, on and off the ice, to find an identity. They have missed the playoffs three of the last five seasons, including each of the last two. They were eliminated four times in the first round, lost out once in the second round, and reached the Western Conference final once. They have had six head coaches — seven if you count Guy Charron twice — and two interim head coaches in eight seasons.
In 2006-07, the last season under community ownership, the average attendance was 4,787. In 2007-08, the first season under new ownership, it was 4,562. It slid to 4,132, before reaching 4,825 in 2012-13 when the Blazers had a 99-point regular season. However, attendance slipped to 4,148 the following season. This season’s average was 3,994.
The one really good thing that came out of the sale is that the Kamloops Blazers Sports Society, which sold the franchise, has invested the money it received from the sale and now puts money into the community through its Sports Legacy Fund.
Since 2009, the society has issued $2,158,287 in grants to 84 organizations. Earlier this year, 27 organizations shared in $325,000 in grants.
For more on the terrific work being done by the society, click right here.
Under terms of the sale of the Blazers, the society retained the right to buy back the franchise at the original sale price should the Gaglardi group ever choose to sell.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have signed general manager Peter Anholt to a three-year contract. Anholt took over as GM/head coach on Dec. 10, with the Hurricanes having fired GM Brad Robson and head coach Drake Berehowsky. . . . Anholt is adamant that he won’t return as head coach, and that he will hire a coach after the bantam draft. . . . “I certainly have a type of coach I’m looking for,” Anholt said on Monday. “I would like it to be a teacher, somebody that’s going to relate well with the young players. And it would be nice to have experience in our league.” . . . If that, indeed, is what Anholt is looking for, you have to wonder if he might take a look at someone like Victoria Royals assistant coach Enio Sacilotto. . . . Paul Kingsmith of Global TV has more on the Anholt signing right here.
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The WHL has revealed that it has returned Portland’s 2017 first-round bantam draft pick to the Winterhawks. . . . On Nov. 28, 2012, the WHL ruled that the Winterhawks wouldn’t be permitted to take part in the first five rounds of the 2013 bantam draft and also took away first-round selections in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. As well, the Winterhawks were fined $200,000 and GM/head coach Mike Johnston was suspended for the remainder of the season, including the playoffs. . . . The Winterhawks were ruled to have broken player-benefit rules, including flying in parents to watch games, supplying some players with cell phones and paying some players off-season training allowances. . . . The last paragraph of Monday’s news release reads: “The WHL and the Portland Winterhawks will not be making any further comment on this matter.” . . . While the Winterhawks wouldn’t make any official comment, one insider told Taking Note that this was “total vindication.”
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Doug Kerslake, who played with the 1970-71 Edmonton Oil Kings who reached the Memorial Cup, has died. Kerslake, who was born in Saskatoon, was 65. . . . There is an obituary right here.
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F Oliver Bjorkstrand of the Portland Winterhawks will join Denmark at the IIHF World championship tournament that is being played in Czech Republic. Bjorkstrand, whose NHL rights belong to the Columbus Blue Jackets, scored 76 goals in 76 games this season. He had 63 goals in 59 regular-season games and followed that up with 13 goals in 17 playoff games.
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The Kamloops Blazers have signed G Dylan Ferguson, who was an eighth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. Ferguson, from Lantzville, B.C., will turn 17 on Sept. 20. He played the last two seasons for the midget AAA Notre Dame Hounds, who play out of Athol Murray College in Wilcox, Sask. This season, he was 17-7-0, 2.70, .907. . . . One would think that Connor Ingram, 18, goes into training camp in August as the No. 1 goaltender. Barring a transaction, that would leave Ferguson to scrap with returnee Cole Kehler, who turns 18 on Dec. 17, for the backup position. Ingram got into 52 games this season, while Kehler played in 21.
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“The Crown wants a ‘safety plan’ in place to protect the fiancée of a former Kamloops Blazers defenceman facing a domestic-assault allegation,” writes Tim Petruk of Kamloops This Week. “Cory Crichton was charged last week with assault causing bodily harm in relation to an April 19 altercation with his fiancée.” . . . Crichton, who is from Kamloops, played four games with the Blazers in 1987-88 and 55 in 1988-89. . . . Petruk’s story is right here.
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Have you ever wondered what suggestions are made when a team goes public in its search for a new nickname? In this case, it’s the U of North Dakota, which is looking to replace Fighting Sioux as its nickname. . . . Chris Peters of cbssports.com has more right here, and a lot of it isn’t pretty.
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No doubt you have tuned into a sporting event, either on radio or TV, and had one of the broadcasters check in with his “Keys to the Game.” And no doubt you have reacted with: “No kidding!” . . . Well, Fox Sports San Diego has taken “Keys to the Game” to a new level. . . . Check it out right here and you will never again look at “Keys to the Game” in the same light.
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THE COACHING GAME:

Colin Chaulk is the new head coach of the ECHL’s Brampton Beast. Chaulk, 38, spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings. . . . Chaulk replaces Brent Hughes, who was fired after a 23-46-3 season. This was the Beast’s first season in the ECHL.

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.

Gaglardi, company fined . . . Raiders honour quintet . . . Chiefs, Cougars stage comebacks

Tom Gaglardi's summer home near Savona, B.C., known as Tom's Shack,
was front and centre in a court case that wrapped up Friday in Kamloops.
(Photo: Kent Simmonds - CFJC-TV)

Tom Gaglardi arrives at the Kamloops
Law Courts on Jan. 15, 2014, during his
trial on environmental charges.
(Photo: Dave Eagles, Kamloops This Week)

Tom Gaglardi, the owner of the NHL’s Dallas Stars and the majority owner of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, appeared in a Kamloops courtroom on Friday for sentencing on environmental-related charges.
Kamloops provincial court Judge Stephen Harrison ordered Gaglardi and Northland Properties to pay $20,000 in fines and another $120,000 to the B.C. Conservation Foundation.
The Crown had asked for a fine of $300,000, while the defence suggested $50,000 to $75,000 would be more appropriate.
The charges stemmed from unauthorized alterations made to the shoreline near a summer home Gaglardi owns on Kamloops Lake, near Savona, B.C.
Tim Petruk of Kamloops This Week was in the courtroom and has a story right here.
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The Prince Albert Raiders will install three players two builders on their Wall of Honour before they meet the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers on Jan. 17.
The three players are:
Mark Odnokon, a former stickboy who played for the SJHL Raiders (1979-82) and later (1990-92) worked as an assistant coach;
Jeff Nelson, who put up 87 points in his freshman season (1988-89), finished with 295 points over four seasons, holds the WHL record for longest scoring streak (56 games) and twice was saluted as the CHL’s scholastic player of the year; and,
Denis Pederson, who recorded 239 points over three seasons (1992-95).
The two builders are:
Milt Fisher, a scout whose finger prints are all over the Raiders’ junior A Centennial Cup titles and the Memorial Cup championship; and,
Nestor Hryciuk, who was active behind the scenes for many years and did a stint as president of the Raiders’ board (1986-88).
The complete news release is right here.
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On Dec. 12, 1978, the Brandon Wheat Kings were riding a 29-game season-opening unbeaten streak.
That night, they played an exhibition game against the Moscow Selects, a touring team from the then-Soviet Union. The Wheat Kings were beaten 9-3 and left immediately after the game for Edmonton, where they would meet the Oil Kings the very next night.
On Dec. 13, 1978, the Oil Kings scored nine power-play goals -- that’s right, nine PP goals -- and beat the Wheat Kings, 9-4.
It seems that Brandon head coach Dunc McCallum felt the Oil Kings were taking liberties with Wheat Kings sniper Brian Propp. So . . . McCallum addressed that subject in the second intermission.
And so it was that the third period began with a brawl. No, the teams didn’t dump the benches, but it was a disturbance that took about 25 minutes to quell.
The decision left Brandon with a 25-1-4 record, the 4 representing ties.
One night later, the Wheat Kings beat the host Oil Kings, 9-5.
Brandon, a team that included Kelly McCrimmon, the present-day owner, general manager and head coach of the Wheat Kings, went on to finish that season at 58-5-9, before winning the playoff title with an 18-4 run.
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Elliotte Friedman deals with the Babwatch in the latest edition of 30 Thoughts, and it’s all right here.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors have added F Braden Oleksyn, 18, to their roster. They’ve got some injures and F Brayden Point is at the Canadian national junior team’s selection camp. . . . Oleksyn, from Saskatoon, was a third-round pick by the Calgary Hitmen in the 2011 bantam draft. He has been with the SJHL’s Kindersley Klippers. . . . Oleksyn has played 19 WHL games -- seven with the Hitmen and 12 with the Victoria Royals, including two this season. . . .
The Regina Pats have recalled D Nathyn Mortlock, 18, from the SJHL’s Melville Millionaires. He has one assist in 20 games with the moneymen. . . . On Thursday, the Pats added F Jacob Elmer, 15, from the EDGE School in Calgary and D Ryan Krushen, 16, from the midget AAA Sherwood Park Kings. . . . All three players skated with the Pats on Friday. The Pats are scheduled to meet the Blades in Saskatoon on Saturday. . . .
Prior to last night’s games, Portland freelancer Scott Sepich pointed out via Twitter that the Winterhawks’ next 10 games will comprise four against the Spokane Chiefs, four against the Seattle Thunderbirds and two against the Tri-City Americans. . . . As well, Sepich pointed out that the Winterhawks have just three games left in Canada this season.
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FRIDAY’S GAMES:
In Saskatoon, G Justin Paulic stopped 25 shots as the Moose Jaw Warriors beat the Blades, 3-0. . . . It was Paulic’s first shutout this season and the second of his career. . . . The Warriors scored two empty-net goals. . . . F Jiri Smejkal’s third goal of the season, at 10:01 of the first period, stood up as the winner . . . . Saskatoon G Nik Amundrud stopped 29 shots. . . . The Warriors (15-14-3) have won two in a row. . . . It was the Blades’ ninth straight loss (0-7-2), but the first time they have been blanked this season. They now are 7-23-3 but have won just twice in their last 19 outings. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has a game story right here. . . . Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald has more right here. . . . The Warriors are at home to the Red Deer Rebels tonight, while the Blades will entertain the Regina Pats. . . .

In Brandon, F Tim McGauley ran his point streak to 10 games in leading the Wheat Kings to a 4-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos. . . . McGauley scored his 18th goal shorthanded at 10:37 of the second period to give Brandon a 2-0 lead. He also had an assist. He has 10 goals and nine assists during his streak. . . . The Wheat Kings scored the game’s first four goals and then watched as Swift Current scored twice in the last four minutes. . . . Freshman F Duncan Campbell, who is from Brandon, scored the Teddy Bear goal at 1:59 of the first period. It was his seventh goal of the season. . . . Attendance was 4,941, the Wheat Kings’ largest crowd this season. . . . Brandon F Nolan Patrick, another freshman, ran his goal streak to four games. He has five goals in those four games and 13 for the season. . . . Wheat Kings D Macoy Erkamps had two assists. . . . Brandon G Jordan Papirny stopped 29 shots in becoming the first WHL goaltender to 20 victories this season. . . . Brandon F Rihards Bukarts was back after six-game absence with an undisclosed injury, but the Wheaties scratched F Jayce Hawryluk with a UI. . . . Brandon (23-7-3) has points in its last three games (2-0-1). . . . The Broncos are 16-14-4. . . .

In Cranbrook, F Zak Zborosky scored with 55.5 seconds left in OT to give the Kootenay Ice a 3-2 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . Zborosky’s eighth goal of the season, at 12:53 of the second period on the PP, had tied the game at 2. He had his first two-goal game. . . . The winner was credited to Zborosky, then changed to F Matt Alfaro and then given back to Zborosky. . . . The Raiders (15-17-1) had lost their previous three games -- 1-0, 1-0 and 3-0. . . . The Ice (16-17-0) had lost its previous two games. . . . Ice G Wyatt Hoflin stopped 25 shots, three fewer than the Raiders’ Rylan Parenteau. . . . The Ice was 2-for-9 on the PP; the Raiders were 0-for-2. . . . F Tim Bozon had two assists for Kootenay. . . . Taylor Rocca of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman has a game story right here. . . . The Ice will meet the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings tonight, while the Raiders wrap up a seven-game road swing in Medicine Hat. . . .

In Medicine Hat, F Gage Quinney, playing his first game with Kelowna, scored the winning goal as the Rockets beat the Tigers, 4-2. . . . Quinney and D Josh Morrissey were acquired by Kelowna from the Prince Albert Raiders for D Jesse Lees, F Austin Glover and a couple of bantam draft picks. . . . Quinney’s seventh goal of the season, at 13:25 of the third period, gave the Rockets a 3-1 lead. . . . Kelowna F Tyson Baillie scored twice, giving him 21 for the season. . . . F Mark Rassell scored the Teddy Bear goal, giving him four this season. . . . The Tigers had F Markus Eisenschmid back in the lineup. He hadn’t played since Oct. 28. . . . Peter Anholt, the new GM/head coach of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, was in the stands, along with assistant coach Bryan Maxwell. . . . The Rockets (26-4-3) have won three in a row. . . . The Tigers, who entertain Prince Albert tonight, are 22-8-2 and three points behind the Eastern Conference-leading Brandon Wheat Kings. . . .

In Portland, the Spokane Chiefs unleashed a 53-shot barrage and overcame a 3-1 deficit in beating the Winterhawks, 4-3. . . . Including exhibition, regular-season and playoff games, Portland had beaten Spokane in 18 straight games. . . . Last season, the Winterhawks won the season series, 8-0-0. . . . The Winterhawks and Chiefs will meet eight times this season; this was game No. 1. In contrast, the Chiefs and Seattle Thunderbirds already have played each other seven times. . . . The Winterhawks took a 3-1 lead into the third period. . . . Spokane F Kailer Yamamoto scored his seventh goal at 5:24, F Adam Helewka equalized with his 15th goal at 7:06 and F Keanu Yamamoto won it with his sixth goal at 14:58. . . . F Dominic Turgeon scored his 10th goal and drew two assists for the Winterhawks. . . . Portland G Adan Hill stopped 49 shots, 20 more than Spokane’s Garret Hughson. . . . The Chiefs (15-12-3) snapped a five-game losing streak. . . . The Winterhawks (17-14-3) had won their previous two games. . . . Portland travels to Kent, Wash., to meet the Seattle Thunderbirds tonight. . . . The Chiefs are at home to Prince George tonight. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., G Evan Sarthou turned aside 17 shots to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . Sarthou, the starter while Eric Comrie is with the Canadian national junior team, has two shutouts this season. . . . F Richard Nejezchleb scored the only goal the Americans would need, on a PP at 7:31 of the first period. It also was a Teddy Bear goal. . . . The Americans were 2-for-3 on the PP; Seattle was 0-for-3. . . . Attendance was 5,227. . . . The Americans (17-13-1) have points in three straight (2-0-1). . . . The Thunderbirds are 13-14-4. . . . The Americans travel to Everett tonight, while the Thunderbirds play host to Portland in Kent, Wash. . . .

In Victoria, the Vancouver Giants took control with three straight second-period goals and went on to beat the Royals, 6-3. . . . Vancouver F Thomas Foster broke a 1-1 tie with a PP goal at 6:10 of the second period. He’s got seven goals. . . . Giants F Jakob Stukel followed with his second goal, at 9:21, and F Jesse Roach got his second at 13:22 via the PP. . . . The Royals were never able to catch up. . . . Victoria F Brandon Magee scored his 10th goal of the season and 100th of his career in the third period. . . . F Axel Blomqvist scored the Teddy Bear goal, tying the game at 2:33 of the second period. . . . The Giants (14-18-0) have won five straight. They  are just one point behind the ninth-place Kamloops Blazers and eight in arrears of eighth-place Seattle in the Western Conference. . . . The Royals (17-15-2) had won their previous two games. . . . The same two teams meet tonight in Vancouver. . . .

In Everett, the Prince George Cougars scored three third-period goals and beat the Silvertips, 3-1. . . . Everett F Kohl Bauml, with his 11th goal, gave his side a 1-0 lead on the PP at 18:00 of the first period. . . . Cougars F Jansen Harkins tied it with his 10th at 1:30 of the third and D Tate Olson gave the visitors the lead, with his fourth, at 14:55. . . . F Chase Witala scored his 17th into an empty net. . . . Cougars G Ty Edmonds stopped 26 shots. . . . Everett F Dawson Leedahl (knee) returned to the lineup for the first time since Oct. 18, but F Nikita Scherbak (ill) sat out, as did D Ben Betker (concussion). . . . The Cougars (17-15-0) have won four in a row. . . . The Silvertips now are 18-8-4. . . . The Cougars are in Spokane tonight, while the Tri-City Americans visit Everett.

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.

Sentencing date set for Blazers' majority owner . . . Konowalchuk's wallet lightened . . . Rockets to be without coach

Tom Gaglardi, the owner of the NHL’s Dallas Stars and the majority owner of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, will be sentenced on federal environmental-related charges on Dec. 12. Gaglardi and his family’s company, Northland Properties, were convicted on charges of harmful alteration of a fish habitat. . . . Tim Petruk of Kamloops This Week has more right here.
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Steve Konowalchuk, the head coach of the Seattle Thunderbirds, wasn’t happy with the officiating in a 2-1 OT loss to the host Everett Embellishers, er, Silvertips on Saturday night. Thom Beuning, the radio voice of the Thunderbirds, explains right here that the frustration has been building all season and that the explosion finally came. . . . On Monday, Konowalchuk was fined $750 by the WHL office.
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Trevor Bast, the founder of Revive TRU Hockey, a group with the goal of bringing university hockey back to Kamloops, said Saturday the program could run on an annual budget of $90,000. “That was the approximate cost to run the team in 2013-14,” Bast, who lives in Victoria, said. “That number isn’t cast in stone but it’s a starting point.” . . . Bast’s group also is working on restructuring the cost to each potential player. “We are working with a couple of players and they suggest that a player fee of $1,800 is fair and manageable,” Bast said. Based on a 25-player roster, that would give the program $45,000 right off the bat. . . . “You could then say that hockey can exist at a CIS school, where the players pay $1,800 each and don’t receive any academic or athletic financial assistance, for an additional $45,000 per season,” Bast said. . . . At the same time, Bast has started up a petition aimed at reviving the program. That petition is right here. . . . For more information, contact Bast at revivetruhockey@gmail.com or Cam Weir, a TRU student and hockey player, at cweir19@yahoo.ca.
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A lawsuit filed last week in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis claims the NCAA and its Division 1 schools should be paying the federal minimum wage to student athletes. Unlike other pending lawsuits of this nature filed against the NCAA, this one includes each Division 1 school. . . . Steve Berkowitz of USA TODAY has more right here.
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Every newspaper editor should aspire to be Ben Bradlee, the legendary editor of the Washington Post, who died a week ago at the age of 93. If you click right here you will find a remarkable essay that he wrote dealing with lying and how it has become so popular in today’s culture.
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F Tim Bozon of the Kootenay Ice is on the limp. Bozon, 20, made his season debut by playing in two games on the weekend. But the Ice’s weekly report has him out again, day-to-day, with an undisclosed injury. . . .
The Kelowna Rockets head for Portland and two games with the Winterhawks this week, but the B.C. bunch won’t have head coach Dan Lambert behind the bench. He’s headed for the U-17 World Hockey Challenge, where he’ll be the head coach of one of three Canadian entries. In his absence, first-year assistant coaches Kris Mallette and Travis Crickard will run the Rockets for six games, including Thursday and Saturday in Portland. . . . The Rockets and Winterhawks met in last season’s Western Conference final, with Portland winning in five games. . . . On Sunday, the Winterhawks will play host to the Edmonton Oil Kings in a one-game rematch of last season’s championship final. The Oil Kings won that series in seven games and went on to win the Memorial Cup. . . .
The Winterhawks will be without F Alex Schoenborn, as he sits out a four-game suspension for a  headshot on F Reid Gardiner of the Prince Albert Raiders. See Monday’s Tweet of the Day for the visual evidence. . . . 
A news release from the Brandon Wheat Kings, who play the Royals in Victoria tonight, points out that their average attendance through six games is 4,018. Last season, the Wheat Kings averaged 3,529 through 36 games. “Brandon is a respectable 12th in league attendance and drawing better than six teams in larger locales -- Kamloops, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Prince George, Regina and Tri-City,” the news release reads. “Wheat Kings season-ticket sales are also ahead of pace, with 2,398 sold, up from last year's final tally of 2,357.” . . .
The NHL’s Anaheim Ducks recalled D Josh Manson from their AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals, on Monday. Manson, a sixth-round selection by the Ducks in the NHL’s 2011 draft, played two seasons at Northeastern U. He is the son of former NHL/WHL D Dave Manson, now an associate coach with the Prince Albert Raiders. . . .
The Vancouver Giants have released F Jack McClelland, an 18-year-old from Wichita, Kansas. He was pointless in five games. . . . McClelland, who was born in Oshawa, Ont., is the son of former NHL F Kevin McClelland.
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THE NUMBERS GAME:

The Prince George Cougars are the WHL’s most-penalized team, with 375 minutes. The least-penalized team? That would be the Everett Silvertips, a team accused by Seattle Thunderbirds head coach Steve Konowalchuk of embellishing, with 99 minutes. The Cougars are taking 23.4 minutes per game, the Silvertips 8.25. . . . The Thunderbirds? A total of 212 minutes, for an average of 16.3. . . . Second to the Cougars in this dubious category are the Regina Pats, and they are 98 minutes behind in one fewer game. . . .
The team that leads the WHL in penalty minutes also has the poorest penalty killing, and that’s not a good combination. . . . The Cougars have been shorthanded a league-high 92 times and have given up 31 goals, 11 more than Regina. Swift Current has the league’s best PK unit (88.5 per cent) and has given up only seven goals. In four fewer games, Medicine Hat (88.2) has allowed only six PP goals. . . . I’m thinking the Cougars (8-8-0) are talking discipline these days. . . .
On the other side of the coin, the Cougars have had 78 PP opportunities (only the Medicine Hat Tigers, with 79, in three fewer games, have more), but are 19th in PP efficiency, at 14.1 per cent. . . . The Kelowna Rockets (24-for-73, 32.9) are first. . . . Everett is 11th (13-for-61, 21.3), with Seattle 13th (10-for-54, 18.5). . . . BTW, the Tigers are the only team in the league not to have scored a shorthanded goal. . . . The Brandon Wheat Kings, with the third-ranked PK unit, and the Moose Jaw Warriors (20th) have four apiece.

Rigby on the move . . . Bozon back with Ice . . . Big catch for Cougars

The Victoria Royals have claimed Russian D Marsel Ibragimov, 17, off waivers. The freshman had played one game with the Edmonton Oil Kings before they released him in order to get down to the limit of two import players. Edmonton kept veteran forwards Mads Eller, 19, and Edgars Kulda, who turns 20 on Nov. 13. . . . In order to make room for Ibragimov, the Royals released Slovakian F Kristian Ferletak, who also is a freshman.
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The Swift Current Broncos have acquired F Carter Rigby, 20, from the Kelowna Rockets for a third-round pick in the 2016 WHL bantam draft. Rigby, who is from Penticton, B.C., had five goals and four assists in seven games with the Rockets this season. In 150 games with the Rockets, he put up 84 points, 51 of them goals. . . . The trade means the Rockets are prepared, at least for now, to go with F Tyrell Goulbourne, who is injured, F Colton Heffley and D Cole Martin as their 20-year-olds. . . . The Broncos, meanwhile, now have five 20s on their roster, so more moves are to come. Still there are Rigby, F Colby Cave, who turns 20 on Dec. 26, F Andrew Johnson 20 on Oct. 15, F Coda Gordon and D Stephen Shmoorkoff, who will be 20 on Sunday. Last night, in a 5-0 victory over the visiting Kootenay Ice, the Broncos dressed just two 20s -- Cave and Gordon.
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The Montreal Canadiens have returned F Tim Bozon, 20, to the Kootenay Ice for a fourth WHL season. . . . “Tim Bozon has come a long way," Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin said in a news release. "He fought a life-threatening disease with courage and determination and we are pleased with what he accomplished in the last few months. He was able to take part in the rookie camp, the Canadiens’ official camp and the Hamilton Bulldogs' training camp. However, with his progression having been diminished due to illness, we feel that one of the priorities for his long-term development is for him to fully regain his physical strength. We believe that joining the Kootenay Ice in the WHL is the right decision at this time as it will allow Tim to fully recover." . . . Bozon was struck down by Neisseria meningitis late last season and spent most of a month in Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon. For part of the time, he was in a medically induced coma. . . . The Ice had acquired Bozon from the Kamloops Blazers on Oct. 22. He had 62 points, 30 of them goals, in 50 games with Kootenay. In 203 regular-season games, he has 231 points, 105 of them goals. . . . He was a third-round pick by the Habs in the 2012 NHL draft. . . . Bozon joins fellow forwards Levi Cable and Austin Vetterl as the Ice's 20-year-old players; D Rinat Valiev, who is injured, is the team's other import.
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 If you have tried to access the WHL's website or one belonging to a team over the past few weeks, you may have run into an issue or two . . . or three. Tbird Tidbits takes a look right here at what is going on with this situation, and it ain't pretty.
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Over at Yahoo! Canada Sports, Scott Sepich has an interesting piece right here on Seattle Seahawks punter Jon Ryan, who is from Regina, making reference to having been cut by three different WHL teams. Near the end of the piece, Sepich mentions baseballer Justin Morneau also having been something of a hockey player.
He also could have mentioned Larry Walker, who went on to a pretty decent MLB career after he had been in camp with the Regina Pats. I stand to be corrected but I think it may have been Bob Strumm who suggested to Walker that as a goaltender he made a pretty good hitter. Walker's brother Carey, also a goaltender, had an excellent three seasons (1975-78) with the WHL's New Westminster Bruins.
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Tom Gaglardi, the majority owner of the Kamloops Blazers, wasn't in court Friday as lawyers made sentencing submissions. Gaglardi and Northland Properties have been convicted of two counts of harmful alteration of a fish habitat. Crown prosecutor Digby Kier is asking for the maximum penalty, a $300,000 fine; defence lawyer Rob Bruneau asked for a fine between $50,000 and $75,000. . . . Tim Petruk of Kamloops This Week has more right here.
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Cathal Kelly, The Globe and Mail's sports columnist, was watching Sportsnet on Wednesday and Thursday nights, after which he filed this piece right here reflecting on what he saw. He pretty much hits the nail squarely on the head, and he does it without yelling or talking over anyone.
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There isn't much that is more entertaining than reading the thoughts of the always loquacious Brian Burke, no matter the subject. Cam Cole of the Vancouver Sun chatted with Burke about fighting in the NHL, and the result is right here. Hmm, do you think Burke is anti- or pro-fighting?
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I purchased Boy on Ice: The Life and Death of Derek Boogaard, by John Branch of The New York Times, on Friday and will be digging into it in short order. In the meantime, Jeremy Keehn has reviewed the book for The Globe and Mail. That review is right here, and it includes this:
"More damning still is the cool and non-judgmental picture the author paints of hockey’s reckless disregard for its toughest, most vulnerable players. In recounting Boogaard’s fights, Branch includes not just the old one-two, but the announcers’ excitement, the video editors’ tale-of-the-tape graphics, the fans’ consistent approval. This cultural embrace is one thing when it’s of men who are over 18 and making their own choices as adults, quite another when it’s of boys at the sport’s junior echelons.
"The pathologist who diagnosed Boogaard’s CTE acknowledged in her report that it was impossible to know the extent to which the disease had influenced his addictions and struggles, but the facts paint a suggestive picture: from the time he was a teenager, Derek Boogaard participated in a sport that encouraged him to incur and deliver trauma to the head, and that rewarded him for doing so; at the time he died, his brain bore the evidence. Junior-hockey fans who accept the suggestion are left with a dilemma: can we, in good conscience, pay money for entertainment that encourages minors to stand toe-to-toe with the pure intent to concuss? I wonder why we’re even allowed to under the law."
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D Blake Heinrich, who has yet to play for Portland this regular season, is back skating with the Winterhawks. He suffered a concussion during an exhibition game. Heinrich, 19, is from Cambridge, Minn. He was a fifth-round pick by the Washington Capitals in the NHL's 2013 draft. The Winterhawks selected him in the 12th round of the 2012 bantam draft. . . .
In what is seen in the hockey world as a big catch, the Prince George Cougars have signed F Jared Bethune, 17, who had committed to the U of Minnesota-Duluth for 2016-17. Last season, with Warroad, Minn., High School, he had 84 points, including 31 goals, in 25 games. He also had two goals and three assists in six games with the USHL's Lincoln Stars. Bethune is a dual citizen and took part in the summer camp held by Canada's U-18 team. He now is in Prince George and attempts are going forward to finalize his release from USA Hockey.
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FRIDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS:

G Eric Comrie stopped 29 shots to help the Tri-City Americans to a 3-1 victory over the Pats in Regina. These teams meet only once each season and the Americans are on a five-game winning streak in the series. . . . The Pats honoured the 1974 Memorial Cup-winning team in a pregame ceremony. That team is holding a 40th anniversary reunion this weekend in Regina. . . . In Calgary, the Victoria Royals scored the game's last three goals, all in the third period, and beat the Hitmen, 3-2. F Austin Carroll, whose NHL rights belong to the Calgary Flames, scored the winner on a PP at 16:24 of the third period. . . .
G Landon Bow stopped 26 shots and F Jake DeBrusk scored the game's first two goals as the host Swift Current Broncos beat the Kootenay Ice, 5-0. . . . In Red Deer, D Kyle Becker scored the game's first two goals and added an assist as the Medicine Hat Tigers dumped the Rebels, 5-1. .  . The host Kamloops Blazers scored the game's last three goals, two coming from F Matt Needham, and beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 3-1. . . .
D Jared Hauf scored at 1:20 of OT to give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 2-1 victory over the Chiefs in Spokane. . . . The Thunderbirds forced extra time when F Mathew Barzal sacored a PP goal at 17:58 of the third period. . . . The Prince George Cougars scored the game's first two goals and hung on to beat the visiting Vancouver Giants, 2-1. F Jari Erricson scored his seventh goal of the season for the Cougars. . . . In Everett, F Carson Stadnyk scored twice and added an assist to help the Silvertips to a 6-2 victory over the Portland Winterhawks. Everett scored the game's last three goals.

Sentencing date set for Blazers' owner . . . Brandon, Lethbridge settle on goaltenders

Tom Gaglardi, the majority owner of the Kamloops Blazers, will be in a Kamloops courtroom on Oct. 10 to be sentenced after being found guilty in August of two environmental-related charges. Tim Petruk of Kamloops This Week reports that “the maximum penalties for harmful alteration of a fish habitat are fines of up to $1 million and/or six months in jail.” . . . Petruk’s story is right here.
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The Brandon Wheat Kings got down to two goaltenders on Saturday by releasing Josh Dechaine, 16, who will join the midget AAA St. Albert, Alta., Raiders. . . . That leaves Brandon with Jordan Papirny, 18, the Wheat Kings’ rookie of the year last season, and freshman Logan Thompson, 17, on its roster. Papirny, the 22nd overall pick in the 2011 bantam draft, is in camp with the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens. Thompson, from Calgary, was a sixth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. . . . The Wheat Kings close out their exhibition schedule against the Warriors in Moose Jaw today. . . . Bruce Luebke, the long-time radio voice of the Wheat Kings, tweeted Saturday morning: “At Young Stars Tourney, @bdnwheatkings D and @NHLFlames prospect Eric Roy left in 1st period last night with upper body injury.” . . . Later, Luebke pointed out that Roy missed part of the Flames’ camp a year ago “because of an abdominal injury.”
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes got their roster down to 28 early on Saturday as they released D Connor Rokosh, F Reid Nemeth and G Jonny Hogue. . . . That leaves the Hurricanes with two goaltenders -- Zac Robidoux, 18, who was acquired from the Medicine Hat Tigers earlier this month, and Stuart Skinner, who turns 16 on Nov. 1. Skinner was the 17th overall selection in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . The Hurricanes gave up a third-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft for Robidoux. If he is on a WHL roster next season, the Tigers also will get a fourth-round pick in 2017. . . . Hogue was an eighth-round pick in 2011, while Nemeth was a ninth-round pick in 2011. . . . Hogue was 2-10-0/5.94/.855 last season. . . . Nemeth had five points, including three goals, in 58 games last season. . . . Rokosh, a fourth-round pick in 2013, will join the Edmonton-South Side Athletic Club midget AAA team.
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Former WHL D Bobby Zinkan, 19, has joined the junior A Summerside, P.E.I., Western Capitals. Zinkan, from Calgary, was a fourth-round pick by the Swift Current Broncos in the 2010 bantam draft. He played 102 games with the Broncos, picking up two goals and two assists, before being dealt in May to the Vancouver Giants for F Luca Leone and a sixth-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft. The Giants released him last week. Zinkan is likely to make his debut with the Capitals on Friday. . . . Tip of the hat to Shawn Mullin, the radio voice of the Broncos, for the tweet on Zinkan. . . .
Swift Current was without D Jordan Harris on Saturday night as they beat the Saskatoon Blades 4-2 in a game played in Maple Creek. Harris suffered an undisclosed injury on Friday night. . . . Last night, the Broncos played with only 16 skaters, two under the maximum allowed. . . . Broncos D Dillon Heatherington, 19, suffered an undisclosed injury on Friday night while playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets in a tournament in Traverse City, Mich. He didn’t practice Saturday, nor did he play in that evening’s 5-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. . . .
Annie Fowler of the Tri-City Herald reports that F Taylor Vickerman, 18, has been cleared to return to action with the Tri-City Americans. Vickerman, who is from Kennewick, Wash., suffered a knee injury on Feb. 15. He is expected to be available to play in the Americans’ season-opener on Saturday. The Edmonton Oilers have signed F Greg Chase of the Calgary Hitmen to a three-year entry-level contract. He was a seventh-round selection in the 2013 NHL draft.
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Former #BWK and @VanCanucks Ted Taylor is Saturdays ST #20in20 Contest winner! $100 gift card from @MontanasBrandon pic.twitter.com/PbRTyLK4Fa
— Brandon Wheat Kings (@bdnwheatkings) September 13, 2014

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