A little of this and some of that . . .
1. Most observers have the matchup they were hoping for as it’ll be the QMJHL-champion Halifax Mooseheads against the WHL-champion Portland Winterhawks in Sunday’s Memorial Cup final. . . . The Winterhawks advanced with a 2-1 victory over the OHL-champion London Knights on Friday night. . . . Sunday’s game starts at 5 p.m. That’s Saskatoon time.
2. I’m thinking that should Paul Brandt ever decide to quit his real job, he could get work as an anthem singer. If you aren’t aware, Brandt is a true Canadian hero thanks to all the charitable work he does and the work done by his Build It Forward Foundation.
3. Lorne Molleken, the general manager and head coach of the Saskatoon Blades, will spend the next while pondering his future. He will be back next season, but will he return as head coach? . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon Star Phoenix, who did such a bang-up job of covering the Blades through a difficult season, has that story right here.
4. There were at least some $20 tickets available for last night’s semifinal, and it seems there are some available for Sunday’s game, too. A friend from Regina sent me a note from the Saskatchewan Hockey Association. . . . “Let’s PACK the HOUSE” for the semifinal and final, it reads. “A limited number of $20 seats are available in the upper bowl.” . . . It also provided a link to Ticketmaster.
5. I don’t know if those $20 tickets had any impact on the gate, but attendance for last night’s semifinal was 9,161.
6. What thoughts were going through Saskatoon D Dalton Thrower’s head when he couldn’t play in the Blades’ 6-1 loss to London in Thursday night’s tiebreaker? . . . The aforementioned Daniel Nugent-Bowman has that story right here.
7. A postgame tweet from Portland freelancer Scott Sepich (@SSepich): “Ty Rattie after the game: ‘We aren't done yet. We're doing this for Portland, for Mike Johnston and everything that happened this year.’ ”
8. Sepich is in Saskatoon covering the tournament for The Oregonian. His complete story is right here.
9. The line of the night belongs to Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino. Late in the first period, Portland F Chase De Leo blocked a shot deep in his zone and was on the limp. Moments later, however, he was zipping up ice with the puck. “De Leo,” Cosentino said, “looked like he got touched by Oral Roberts when that puck came to his stick.”
10. If they are to win on Sunday, the Winterhawks are going to have to manage the puck better than they did last night. They had some shoddy moments in their zone and were bailed out by G Mac Carruth, who is back in the zone. . . . Only Carruth had more of an impact on the semifinal game than did Portland D Derrick Pouliot, who was terrific. Pouliot was plagued by a high ankle sprain during the regular season and played in only 44 games. You wonder if he’s feeling a bit fresher now, and perhaps his recovery time is a bit quicker, because of his time off the ice during the regular season.
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An email from one fan after Friday’s post:
“The prices you quoted are close to half the seats at a Winnipeg Jets game. My seats in the bottom row of the upper bowl behind the net go for 60 bucks. Remember, Jets tickets are among the highest in the NHL, and the Blade's owners attitude is that people should expect those kinds of prices, after all it is the Memorial Cup. I say, yes, but it is still junior hockey.”
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And this email from a fan in the Portland area:
“I'm a fan of hockey in general and I follow the Portland Winterhawks. I go to a few games a year, recently took my son to Game 5 of the final against Edmonton. Cost for two good seats in the lower bowl including service fees was under $70. Lots of families in attendance.
“If the Memorial Cup was held in Portland or another WHL city I would surely be tempted to get a tournament ticket package. I am a fan of hockey, having grown up in Ontario and played as a youth. But, at $600 to $800 a ticket package, how in the world would a family be able to afford that? Even one game in the least attractive seats is going to be a minimum of $150 for a family of four.
“I am not sure an average fan would shell out that kind of money, especially if the host team is not able to compete with the other three elite teams in the tourney.
“As for me, I am thrilled to have purchased a streaming package for all the games for $25 and have watched all the games live on my computer. Clearly many fans even in the host city would choose this option as the best bang for the buck.
“I say the Memorial Cup ticket prices should be the same as the host city's regular pricing structure. Fill that arena, and keep fans buzzing all week long about the amazing live hockey they get to see. It is appalling to see so many empty seats for such amazing hockey.”
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F Brendan Ranford, who set the Kamloops Blazers’ record for career regular-season games played this season, has signed a contract with the AHL’s Texas Stars.
Ranford, who completed his junior eligibility as a 20-year-old this season, signed a professional tryout deal (PTO) with the Stars and will attend their training camp. The Stars are the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars, who are owned by Blazers majority owner Tom Gaglardi.
Ranford had 87 points, including 65 assists, for the Blazers this season. He then added 20 points, 15 of them assists, in 15 playoff games.
The Edmonton native, who is a nephew of former NHL goaltender Bill Ranford, played in 348 regular-season games with the Blazers, finishing with 357 points, including 137 goals.
Ranford was selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the seventh round of the 2010 NHL draft but wasn’t signed and became a free agent.
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Paul Danzer of The Columbian, a newspaper in Vancouver, Wash., reports that Edmonton Oil Kings F Trevor Cheek has “three torn oblique muscles and a partially torn trapezius muscle.” . . . Cheek was injured in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final against the Calgary Hitmen and didn’t play again. . . . Danzer’s story is right here.
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Hockey Canada, which is holding its annual general meeting in Charlottetown, P.E.I., this weekend, has dropped head scout Kevin Prendergast and goaltender coach Ron Tugnutt. . . . Prendergast had been the head scout since September 2010. Since then, Canada placed second twice at the world junior championship, while also finishing third and, this year, fourth. . . . Tugnutt had been with Hockey Canada since 2011.
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THE COACHING GAME:
The Moose Jaw Warriors have re-signed assistant coaches Mike Vandenberghe and Mark O’Leary. . . . Vandenberghe is preparing for his third season on the Warriors’ coaching staff after joining them during 2010-11. He played with the Warriors in the late 1980s, and also has worked as an assistant coach with the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . O’Leary joined the Warriors prior to last season. He had played in the OHL with the Mississauga IceDogs and Guelph Storm before going on to a five-year pro career. . . .

The USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks have fired head coach Jim McKenzie, who had one year left on a two-year contract. McKenzie joined the Lumberjacks during 2011-12, replacing the fired Kevin Patrick. . . . Muskegon was 32-23-10 this season, but was swept from the first round of the playoffs. . . . McKenzie played in the WHL with Moose Jaw (1984-88) and Victoria (1988-89).

Matt Kabayama, the associate coach with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, won’t be returning. The WHL team made that announcement on Friday. . . . Kabayama spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the Hurricanes before being named associate coach prior to 2009-10. . . . The Hurricanes also are looking for a head coach, having fired Rich Preston in March. . . . The Hurricanes have yet to announced whether Chris Chisamore, an assistant coach who also works with goaltenders, will return. . . .

Jean-Guy Trudel has signed on as head coach of the Peoria Rivermen, who will debut next season in the Southern Professional Hockey League. Trudel signed a one-year contract that includesd a mutual option on a second season. . . . Kevin Tucker has a one-year contract as assistant coach. . . . Both are former Rivermen players. . . . Trudel has been coaching with the Peoria Mustangs of the NA3HL. . . . With Peoria no longer in the AHL, the Rivermen are preparing for their first season in the SPHL.

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The matchups, if the WHL playoffs opened today:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Edmonton (1) vs. Kootenay (8)
Saskatoon (2) vs. Medicine Hat (7)
Calgary (3) vs. Swift Current (6)
Red Deer (4) vs Prince Albert (5)

WESTERN CONFERENCE
Portland (1) vs. Everett (8)
Kelowna (2) vs. Seattle (7)
Kamloops (3) vs. Victoria (6)
Spokane (4) vs. Tri-City (5)
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SATURDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, the Edmonton Oil Kings wrapped up their Brier road trip with a 4-1 victory over the Warriors. . . . With the Brier, the Canadian men’s curling championship in Rexall Place, the Oil Kings had to hit the road. They went 6-2-0 away from home. . . . Edmonton now has won six in a row. . . . Oil Kings F Trevor Cheek scored Edmonton‘s first two goals, giving him a career-high 31 goals. . . . Edmonton F Dylan Wruck set a franchise single-season record with his 61st assist. That broke the record set last season by F Michael St. Croix. . . . Wruck later got his 62nd assist. . . . St. Croix, who scored his 37th goal, also had an assist, his 52nd. . . . Edmonton G Tristan Jarry stopped 27 shots. . . . The Warriors were without F Jordan Wyton, who left after a fight in a Friday night game and didn’t return. . . . Moose Jaw had F Ben Duperreault, a 10th-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft, in its lineup. Duperreault, from Wilcox, Sask., played for the midget AAA Moose Jaw Generals. . . .

In Prince Albert, F Hunter Shinkaruk scored with 23.5 seconds left in OT to give the Medicine Hat Tigers a 2-1 victory over the Raiders. . . . The Tigers clinched a playoff spot for the 11th straight season. . . . F Jonas Knutsen got his ninth goal for the Raiders just 25 seconds into the game. They wouldn’t score again. . . . Medicine Hat F Elgin Pearce tied it with his 29th at 14:06 of the second. . . . Tigers G Marek Langhamer stopped 37 shots. . . . The Raiders held a 13-0 edge in shots in the third period but weren’t able to beat Langhamer. . . . Prince Albert remains fifth in the Eastern Conference and now is two points ahead of Swift Current and four ahead of Medicine Hat. . . .

In Saskatoon, F Brenden Walker scored his 31st goal of the season at 4:14 of OT to give the Blades an 8-7 victory over the Regina Pats. . . . The Blades trailed 7-3 going into the second period. . . . F Matt Revel forced OT when he scored his seventh goal at 12:11 of the third period. . . . F Jessey Astles drew an assist on the goal. He was playing his first game following a 50-game absence after he suffered a nasty skate cut on one wrist. . . . Walker finished with two goals and two assists, while F Erik Benoit had three assists. . . . The Blades also got two goals, givin ghim 23, and an assist from Collin Valcourt. . . . F Lane Scheidl, a Saskatoon native, continued his terrific season for the Pats. He scored twice, giving him 39. . . . Regina F Connor Gay, who is from Saskatoon, scored his first WHL goal in his 33rd game. . . . The Blades were without F Michael Ferland and D Dalton Thrower for a second straight game. Both have undisclosed injuries. . . .

In Brandon, the Swift Current Broncos erased a 1-0 deficit with three second-period goals and beat the Wheat Kings, 3-2. . . . The Broncos earned 15 points from eight games with Brandon this season. . . . Swift Current D Reece Scarlett tied it 1-1 with his eighth goal at 3:31, D Dillon Heatherington added his fourth at 5:22 on the PP, and F Adam Lowry got the winner, his 44th, at 19:25. . . . Heatherington didn’t finish the game, leaving in the second period after taking a hit from Brandon F Jayce Hawryluk. . . . Brandon D Eric Roy scored his 17th goal. . . . The Broncos are sixth in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Prince Albert and two ahead of Medicine Hat. . . .

In Calgary, G Chris Driedger stopped 22 shots as the Hitmen whipped the Lethbridge Hurricanes, 9-0. . . . Driedger has five shutouts this season. . . . F Brooks Macek scored three times, giving him 31 goals this season. . . . The Hitmen got a goal and two assists from each of Jake Virtanen and Victor Rask. . . . F Cody Sylvester scored twice, giving him 37. . . . Calgary D Kenton Helgeson had two assists and was plus-5. . . . The Hurricanes are six points out of a playoff spot with four games remaining. . . .

In Vancouver, the Giants scored the game’s last three goals and beat the Victoria Royals, 3-1. . . . The Royals had beaten the visiting Giants 5-3 on Friday. . . . Vancouver F Jackson Houck broke a 1-1 tie at 8:20 of the third period and added an empty-netter at 19:42. . . . Houck has 22 goals. . . . The Giants have won five of their last seven games. . . . Victoria had D Keegan Kanzig back after he served a two-game suspension. . . . Vancouver had D Arvin Atwal back after a one-game absence. Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province reported that Atwal sat out Friday’s game “due to academic issues.” . . . The Royals will finish sixth in the Western Conference and play Kamloops in the first round. . . .

In Kelowna, the Rockets clinched the B.C. Division pennant with a 2-1 victory over the Kamloops Blazers. . . . Kamloops went into the game five points behind the Rockets and with three games remaining. . . . F Tyrell Goulbourne gave the Rockets a 2-0 lead with his 14th goal at 15:48 of the second period. . . . The Rockets had won 3-2 in Kamloops on Friday night. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke stopped 31 shots, one fewer than Cole Cheveldave of the Blazers. . . . The Blazers will meet the Victoria Royals in the first round of playoffs, opening with games in Kamloops on March 22 and 23. . . .

In Kent, Wash., it was a ch-ch-ching kind of night as the Silvertips got past the Seattle Thunderbirds (of Kent), 4-3. . . . F Tyler Sandhu, who turned 17 on Jan. 7, scored twice for Everett, giving him 16. He tied the score 2-2 at 11:32 of the second and gave his side the lead at 12:39 of the third period, on the PP. . . . Seattle D Shea Theodore got his 18th goal just eight seconds later. . . . Everett F Dawson Leedahl broke that tie with his third goal at 17:03. . . . A late-game melee included battling goaltenders as Everett’s Austin Lotz and Brandon Glover of the Thunderbirds scrapped. . . . Everett is eighth in the Western Conference, one point behind Seattle. . . .

In Spokane, F Blake Gal scored twice to help the Chiefs to a 6-3 victory over the Kootenay Ice. . . . The Chiefs broke open a 2-2 game with four third-period goals. . . . The victory sets up a first-round meeting between the Chiefs and the Tri-City Americans. . . . Spokane D Brendan Kichton added his 22nd goal and two assists. . . . F Jaedon Descheneau had two goals and an assist for the Ice. He’s got 27 scores. . . . F Brock Montgomery got his 30th goal for the Ice. . . . The Chiefs and Tri-City Americans will meet in the first round. They are tied for fourth with 84 points. Each team has four games remaining. . . .

In Kennewick, Wash., the Prince George Cougars got two goals in the circus and beat the Tri-City Americans, 3-2. . . . F Zach Pochiro and F Colin Jacobs had the shootout goals for the Cougars. . . . Cougars D Michal Plutnar forced Ot with his seventh goal, via the PP, at 14:10 of the third. . . . Tri-City F Justin Feser got his 42nd goal in the first period. . . . F Jari Erricson had a goal, his 13th, and an assist for the Cougars. . . . Prince George, which beat host Seattle in a shootout on Friday, is four points out of a playoff spot with five games remaining.
---
CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Carson Perreaux, Prince Albert
F Josh Derko, Lethbridge
D Marc McNulty, Prince George

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None
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TWEET OF THE DAY:
From Victoria Royals prospect Matthew Campese (@MatthewCampese): “The cold side of a pillow is really under appreciated”

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Eric Schneider (Tri-City, 1995-96) signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Hamburg Freezers (Germany, DEL). He had two goals and 10 assists in 10 games with the Bentley Generals (Alberta, Chinook Senior) this season. Last season, Schneider had 16 goals and 30 assists in 52 games with Munich (Germany, DEL), where he was an alternate captain. . . .

F Eric Johansson (Tri-City, 1997-2002) signed a contract for the rest of this season with Västerås (Sweden, Allsvenskan) after being released a few days ago by Alba Volan Szekesfehervar (Hungary, Austria Erste Bank Liga). He had six goals and 23 assists in 41 games with Alba Volan this season. Västerås GM Niklas Johansson (no relation): “He's a two-way centre with a good drive and lovely set-up skills who can also play wing. We need to lift our offensive game and therefore it feels good to be able to snag a player like Eric.” Johansson has dual Canadian and Swedish citizenship so he doesn’t count as an import.
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On my list of today’s best sports writers, two names are atop the list. There are Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post and Roy MacGregor of The Globe and Mail, and then there is everyone else.
They are essayists, wordsmiths . . . who regularly provide readers with the best they’ve got.
I mention this because Boswell spent a lot of time covering Earl Weaver when he really was the Earl of Baltimore. Weaver died Saturday at the age of 82, and Boswell came up with this piece right here.
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The headline reads: Las Vegas Hooker Rear Ended.
The story, involving a player from a Mountain West Hockey League team, is right here.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Edmonton, F Trevor Cheek and F Curtis Lazar each scored his 20th goal as the Oil Kings beat the Prince George Cougars, 6-1. . . . The Oil Kings erased a 1-0 first-period deficit with the game’s next three goals — they scored at even strength, on the power play and shorthanded — and took a 3-1 lead into the third period. . . . The first two periods included a combined 13 power-play opportunities. There was one minor penalty called in the third. . . . Edmonton F Edgars Kulda scored his fifth goal. His folks from Latvia were in the crowd. . . . F Henrik Samuelsson scored twice for Edmonton, giving him 24 goals. . . . Among the Cougars scratches was D Marc McNulty (undisclosed). . . . The Oil Kings, who had lost their previous two games, are back atop the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the idle Calgary Hitmen. . . .

In Vancouver, F Josh Winquist scored three times to lead the Everett Silvertips to a 4-0 victory over the Giants. . . . Winquist, who also had an assist, has 21 goals. . . . Everett G Daniel Cotton stopped 31 shots for his second shutout of the season, both against Vancouver. . . . The Silvertips swept a three-game weekend; earlier, they beat Seattle and Lethbridge at home. . . . Everett is 5-0-0 against Vancouver this season. . . . Everett F Manraj Hayer drew three assists. He’s from Vancouver and was celebrating his 19th birthday. . . .

In Kent, Wash., Lethbridge G Ty Rimmer stopped 54 shots through OT but gave up a goal in the circus and his Lethbridge Hurricanes dropped a 6-5 decision to the Seattle Thunderbirds (of Kent). . . . Seattle F Luke Lockhart, who shot first, scored the only goal of the shootout. . . . Seattle has won twice in as many nights after losing 15 in a row. . . . Lethbridge led 3-1 in the second period, only to have Seattle come back with four straight goals. . . . The Hurricanes trailed 5-3 in the third period. D Adam Henry got them to within one at 6:45. F Jaimon Yakubowski forced OT with his 26th goal at 16:18 of the third. . . . Seattle lost F Branden Troock late in the second period with an apparent shoulder injury after he went heavily into the boards. He didn’t return. . . . Lethbridge was playing its third game in as many nights and dressed only 16 skaters. It was missing six regulars. D Albin Blomqvist, D Dan Johnston, F Reid Duke, F Josh Derko and F Russell Maxwell all are hurt, while D Joel Topping was writing exams. . . .

In Medicine Hat, G Cam Lanigan stopped 26 shots as the Tigers beat the Red Deer Rebels, 3-0. . . . Lanigan, 20, has three career shutouts, all of them this season. He had one with Portland before joining the Tigers. . . . F Hunter Shinkaruk scored the game’s first goal, his 26th, at 10:51 of the second period. . . . Shinkaruk had sat out for a week with the flu. F Miles Koules now is ill and didn’t play. . . . F Curtis Valk, with his 27th, and F Logan McVeigh, with his 13th, also scored. . . .  The Tigers swept a three-game weekend, as they also won in Edmonton and beat visiting Calgary. The Tigers beat Edmonton 2-1 and Calgary 4-0. . . . Medicine Hat is seventh in the Eastern Conference, but just six points behind the fourth-place Rebels. . . . Edmonton, Calgary and Red Deer are running 1-2-3 in the Central Division.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Martin Gernat, Edmonton
F Alex Delnov, Seattle
F Tyler Wong, Lethbridge

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
F Brandon Baddock, Edmonton
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From Portland F Brendan Leipsic (@leip28): “I eat because I’m unhappy, I’m unhappy because I eat.”


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Goaltender Mac Carruth of the Portland Winterhawks accepts congratulations
from Darrell May Sr. after breaking the latter's franchise record for career
victories on Wednesday night.
(Bryan Heim / Portland Winterhawks)

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Lukas Vartovnik (Everett, 2006-08) was one of seven players released by Martin (Slovakia, Extraliga) for financial reasons. Vartovnik had five goals and three assists in 25 games for Martin this season.
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The Prince George Cougars have acquired F Klarc Wilson, 19, from the Edmonton Oil Kings for a third-round selection in the 2014 bantam draft. . . . Wilson was taken 10th overall by the Brandon Wheat Kings in the 2008 bantam draft. . . . He has 16 points, five of them goals, and 55 penalty minutes in 40 games this season. In 225 career games with Brandon (19) and Edmonton (206), he has 78 points and 332 penalty minutes.
The Cougars, with F Daulton Siwak, 19, and F Alex Forsberg, who turned 18 on Jan. 4, having left them in recent days, get a badly needed forward and one with some experience. Wilson will get a lot more ice time with the Cougars.
Prince George general manager Dallas Thompson is going right down to the wire with Forsberg, who didn’t return to the team after the Christmas break and asked to be traded. He was the first overall selection in the 2010 bantam draft.
Thompson has said that he will only move Forsberg if the gets a substantial return and it seems that as of Wednesday he hadn’t seen anything resembling what he wants.
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The Edmonton Oil Kings have acquired F Trevor Cheek, 20, from the Vancouver Giants for a second-round selection in the 2013 bantam draft. It will be a late second-round selection because it originally belonged to the Portland Winterhawks, who gave it up last season in order to land F Cam Reid, a 20-year-old who left St. Cloud State to come to the WHL. . . . Cheek, who is from Vancouver, Wash., began this season with the Calgary Hitmen. They dealt him to Vancouver for a fourth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft and a fifth-rounder in 2014. . . . Cheek had 32 points, including 18 goals, in 39 games with the Giants, after picking up one assist in one game with Calgary. In the previous two seasons, he had 74 points in 124 games with Calgary. . . . The trade leaves Edmonton with Cheek, F T.J. Foster and F Dylan Wruck as it’s three 20-year-old players. . . . The Giants are left with D Wes Vannieuwenhuizen, their captain, as their only 20 and he will sit for the next few weeks with a hand injury.
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The Lethbridge Hurricanes have added some more size with the acquisition of D Mike Simpson, 18, from the Kootenay Ice. The Hurricanes gave up a 2013 fifth-round bantam draft pick in the exchange. Simpson, 6-foot-4 and 207 pounds, is from Semiahmoo, B.C. He has one assist and 47 penalty minutes in 40 games this season, after putting up four points and 52 penalty minutes in 52 games last season. He was a sixth-round selection in the 2009 bantam draft. . . . Earlier in the week, the Hurricanes added 6-foot-2, 190-pound F Josh Derko in a deal with the Swift Current Broncos.
As for the Ice, the deal left it with five defencemen on the roster, so obviously something will happen there. But as of last night GM Jeff Chynoweth hadn’t moved either D Joey Leach or F Brock Montgomery, both of whom are 20. You get the feeling that Chynoweth won’t be unhappy if he ends up keeping both of them.
After the Simpson deal, the Ice owns seven selections in the first five rounds of the 2013 bantam draft, including four fifth-rounders.
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The Spokane Chiefs have acquired D Stewart Coyle, 17, from the Vancouver Giants for a sixth-round pick in the 2016 bantam draft. . . . Unofficially, that is the first 2016 draft pick to change hands. . . . The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Coyle, who is from Sicamous, B.C., was pointless in 10 games with the Kelowna Rockets last season. This season, he had two assists in 17 games with the Giants. . . . The Giants got Coyle and F Tanner Moar from t he Rockets for two draft picks, a fourth in 2014 and a sixth in 2015, on Sept. 17.
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F Tanner Moar has left the Vancouver Giants, apparently choosing to retire rather than continue his WHL career. Moar, 18, is from Canwood, Sask. He had four points in 29 games with the Giants. Last season, he had eight points in 65 games with the Kelowna Rockets. . . . Moar was a seventh-round selection by the Rockets in the 2009 bantam draft.
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The Moose Jaw Warriors have assigned F Brett Brooks, who turned 18 on Dec. 2, to the MJHL’s Winnipeg Blues. A Winnipeg native, he had one point in 31 games this season after putting up three points in 38 games last season. . . .
The Red Deer Rebels have added F Hunter Smith, 17, of Carlyle, Sask., to their roster. He had four points in nine games with the Carlyle Cougars of the Big 6 Hockey League. . . . Smith was a ninth-round selection by the Brandon Wheat Kings in the 2010 bantam draft. . . .
Bruce Fuhr of the Castlegar Source has more right here on that bizarre situation involving the junior B Beaver Valley Nitehawks and the junior A Trail Smoke Eaters. And, yes, it seems there will be an investigation. . . .
The NAHL’s Wenatchee Wild have once again begun the process that could lead to its moving into the BCHL. Brent Stecker of the Wenatchee World has that story right here.
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A note from Cam Wietzel advises that the 35th anniversary edition of the John Reid Memorial bantam tournament is scheduled for Jan. 17-20 at Servus Place in St. Albert, Alta.
“This tournament,” he notes, “features the top 16 bantam AAA teams in Western Canada and will feature many of the top 14-year-old hockey players in the country.”
He also was kind enough to provide a few tidbits . . .
1. The 2012 WHL bantam draft featured 93 players who were participants in the JRMT. That is an amazing 31 per cent of all invitees from the 2012 edition of the event, who went on to be drafted in to the WHL. 2013 is expecting to be as prolific.
2. The current top three scorers in the WHL — Colin Smith, Nicolas Petan and Brendan Leipsic — all were participants in the JRMT, as were two members of Canada's 2013 U-20 WJHC team — Morgan Rielly and Mark McNeill.
3. Over 60 alumni from the JRMT have gone on to play in the NHL, including Jarome Iginla, Scott and Rob Niedermayer, Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, Eric Staal and Jonathan Toews.
4. This year's tournament features 23 of the top 30 scorers in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League, including South Side Athletic Club's Tyler Benson, who is on pace to shatter the AMBHL scoring record, currently held by Ty Rattie.
5. The all-time single tournament scoring leader is Jonathan Toews, who had 36 points in seven games in 2003.
6. Michael St. Croix, currently with the Edmonton Oil Kings, scored a record 38 points (including 15 as an underage) over two tournaments (2007 and 2008).
7. Thunder Bay won the tournament a record four consecutive years (1997-2000). The 1997 Thunder Bay squad featured three current NHLers — Patrick Sharp, Taylor Pyatt and Alex Auld.
8. Current Oil Kings F Curtis Lazar was named MVP of the 2010 JRMT. His performance at the JRMT was his self-described, “coming out party” in terms of his meteoric rise up the scouts’ rankings. He eventually was selected second overall in the WHL draft and is a potential first-round selection in the upcoming NHL draft.
9. Several coaching staffs from teams attending this year's tournament feature ex-NHLers. Blake Wesley, Dixon Ward, Norm Lacombe, Joby Messier, Kevin Smyth and Mike Needham all will be in St. Albert providing leadership and mentorship to these talented athletes.
10. St. Albert has won its own tournament once — in 1983, led by future NHL sniper Rob Brown.
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WEDNESDAY’S GAMES:
In Moose Jaw, the Calgary Hitmen ran their winning streak to five games with a 6-4 victory over the Warriors. . . . F Brady Brassart had two goals and was plus-5 for the Hitmen, while F Brooks Macek and F Cody Sylvester each had a goal and two assists. . . . Macek scored six seconds into the second period, which is two seconds off the franchise record for fastest goal to start a period. On Tuesday, Macek set a franchise record for fastest goal to open a game when he scored nine seconds into what became a 7-2 victory over the Wheat Kings in Brandon. . . . Calgary G Chris Driedger came on in relief to stop 15 of 16 shots. . . . The Hitmen now are 15-2-1 on the road. . . . The Warriors have lost five in a row. . . .

In Swift Current, F Adam Lowry had a goal and an assist to lead the Broncos to a 5-2 victory over the Red Deer Rebels. . . . Lowry’s first-period goal, his 28th of the season, ran his point streak to 18 games. . . . That equals the longest point streak in the WHL this season. Portland B Brendan Leipsic had an 18-gamer earlier. . . . Broncos G Eetu Laurikainen, just back from an appearance with Finland at the World Junior Championship, stopped 34 shots. . . . With G Patrik Bartosak having returned from the Czech national junior team, the Rebels have returned G Grant Naherniak, 16, to the midget AAA Moose Jaw Generals. . . .

In Prince Albert, the Raiders erased a 3-1 first-period deficit and beat the Regina Pats, 9-4. . . . F Colton Stephenson’s ninth goal of the season, at 9:05 of the first, gave Regina a 3-1 edge. . . . The Raiders then scored four straight goals. . . . Regina had won its previous five games. . . . D Dylan Busenius had three assists for the Raiders, who got goals from nine different players. . . . Prince Albert G Andy Desautels came on at 3-1 and stopped 19 of 20 shots. . . . D Luke Fenske (ill) was among Regina’s scratches. . . .

In Lethbridge, the Hurricanes scored five first-period goals on 12 shots and went on to beat the Vancouver Giants, 7-4. . . . The Giants got back to within one, at 5-4, late in the second period. . . . Lethbridge got two third-period goals from F Jaimen Yakubowski, his 24th and 25th, the latter into an empty net. . . . Four players scored their first goals of the season — F Michael Sofillas and D Adam Henry of the Hurricanes and F Luca Leone and F Travis McEvoy of the Giants. . . . Lethbridge F Reid Duke, who played his first 29 games without a goal, enjoyed his second straight two-goal outing. He also had an assist in this one. . . . The Hurricanes lost F Brady Ramsay at 9:43 of the first period when he was given a match penalty for attempt to injure. . . . The Giants dressed 16 skaters, two under the maximum. . . . Vancouver F Scott Cooke, who suffered an arm injury in Tuesday’s 4-0 loss in Medicine Hat, will be out for at least four weeks. . . . Vancouver went 1-4-0 on a Central Division swing on which it played five games in six nights. . . .

In Portland, G Mac Carruth stopped 23 shots as the Winterhawks beat the Prince George Cougars, 3-0. . . . The Winterhawks have won 12 in a row. . . . Carruth posted his 106th regular-season victory, a career franchise record. The previous record had been held by Darrell May Sr., who was there to congratulate Carruth. May’s WHL career ended in 1982. . . . Carruth has four shutouts this season and eight in his career. He now shares the Portland career shutout record with Lanny Ramage and Kurtis Mucha. . . . While Carruth has four shutouts this season, he has only two losses. He is 19-2-0. His career record is 106-41-4. . . . Portland F Nic Petan picked up one assist and moved into the lead in the WHL scoring race. He has 69 points, one more than Kamloops F Colin Smith. . . . Portland scratched F Paul Bittner, who was on a six-game point streak, and F Chase De Leo (ill), who had played all 40 previous games this season. . . . The Cougars, who got 46 saves from G Mac Engel, dressed 16 skaters for the second night in a row. They lost 6-4 in Portland on Tuesday. . . .

In Kamloops, F Beau McCue broke a 1-1 tie 30 seconds into the third period as the Tri-City Americans beat the Blazers, 3-1. . . . F Tim Bozon gave the Blazers a 1-0 lead on the PP at 2:53 of the first period. . . . Tri-City D Michal Plutnar tied it on the PP at 11:14 of the second. . . . Tri-City G Eric Comrie stopped 34 shots. . . . The Blazers were 1-for-7 on the PP. . . . The Americans had lost their last four games in Kamloops. . . . The Blazers scratched F JC Lipon and D Marek Hrbas. Lipon, who played for Canada at the World Junior Championship, is at home in Regina catching up on some rest. He will join the Blazers in Prince George for a Friday-Saturday doubleheader with the Cougars. Hrbas, who played for the Czech Republic at the WJC, returned to Kamloops on Tuesday night, but was given the night off. . . .

In Kelowna, the Rockets scored five times in the second period en route to a 6-1 victory over the Victoria Royals. . . . The victory, Kelowna’s 16th straight on home ice, lifted the Rockets into first place in the B.C. Division, two points ahead of Kamloops. . . . D Damon Severson and F Ryan Olsen each had a goal and two assists for the Rockets. . . . D MacKenzie Johnston scored his first goal of the season, in 22 games. He has 10 points this season, one more than he scored in 70 games last season. . . . D Madison Bowey (ill) was among Kelowna’s scratches. . . .

In Spokane, G Eric Williams stoppd 30 shots as the Chiefs dropped the Seattle Thunderbirds, 4-1. . . . F Liam Stewart got the winner for the second straight night. His 10th goal broke a 1-1 tie at 3:16 of the second period. . . . F Mitch Holmberg scored his 25th goal of the season for the Chiefs, while F Mike Aviani got his 21st. . . . Spokane F Carter Proft scored the Chiefs’ fourth goal on a third-period penalty shot. . . . The Thunderbirds played three straight games against Spokane and lost each one — 5-2, 4-3 and 4-1. . . . Seattle now has lost 12 straight games.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
D Richard Nedomlel, Swift Current
F Joey Baker, Portland

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None
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From Calgary Hitmen F Calder Brooks (@CalderBrooks): “Just a casual skate with Mike Cammalleri at the Dome today, helping him with his shot and stuff #whatatreat”


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The WHL’s trade deadline arrives today (2 p.m. in B.C., 3 p.m. in Alberta, 4 p.m. in Saskatchewan and Manitoba). Here is a look at trades since the end of the WHL’s Christmas trade moratorium:

Jan. 1: Medicine Hat trades D Dylan Busenius, 19, F Jayden Hart, 18, and a 2014 sixth-round bantam draft pick to Prince Albert for F Logan McVeigh, 18, D Zach Hodder, 19, F Connor Hobbs, 15, and a 2013 second-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 2: Vancouver trades F Kale Kessy, 20, to Kamloops for F Rob Trzonkowski, 18, and a 2015 fifth-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 3: Everett trades F Trent Lofthouse, 18, to Victoria for a 2014 sixth-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 3: Victoria trades G Jared Rathjen, 18, to Vancouver for a 2013 eighth-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 7: Victoria trades D Jesse Zgraggen, 19, to Calgary for a 2013 fourth-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 7: Lethbridge trades F Jay Merkley, 17, to Swift Current for F Josh Derko, 19, and a 2014 third-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 9: Vancouver trades F Trevor Cheek, 20, to Calgary for a 2013 second-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 9: Kootenay trades D Mike Simpson, 18, to Lethbridge for a 2013 fifth-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 9: Vancouver trades D Stewart Coyle, 17, to Spokane for a 2016 sixth-round bantam draft pick.

Jan. 9: Edmonton trades F Klarc Wilson, 19, to Prince George for a 2014 third-round bantam draft pick.

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THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Lynn Loyns (Spokane, 1997-2001) signed a contract for the rest of this season with the Ravensburg Towerstars (Germany, 2. Bundesliga) after a successful tryout. He had one goal and one assist in four games during the tryout. The club said in its press release that Loyns "impressed the management and head coach Petri Kujala with his skill and vision, despite the lack of an acclimatization period and game experience."
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On Dec. 30, 1986, the Swift Current Broncos boarded their bus and headed to Regina for a game with the Pats.
They never arrived as the bus crashed just outside the city and four players died.
As the Broncos’ website points out right here, “We will never forget.”
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A story at nflconcussionlitigation.com begins:
“The number of former players suing the NFL continues to grow by the week. In the month of December alone, more than 70 players joined the NFL Concussion Litigation Club.
“The number of former players suing the NFL has eclipsed 4,000. There are approximately 12,000 living, former players. More than 1/3 of all players to ever sign an NFL contract are now taking on the shield, seeking a piece of that $9.5 billion pie the former players helped create.”
That complete story is right here.
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Mark Morris of the Kansas City Star reports that Neil Smith, 46, a former Kansas City Chiefs defensive end, has joined in by filing a lawsuit against the NFL, “alleging it has not done enough to prevent the brain injuries from which he now suffers.”
According to Morris, Smith contends in his lawsuit that “because of repeated and misdiagnosed concussions he suffers from ‘permanent and debilitating injuries,’ including loss of memory, ‘cognitive impairment’ and early-onset dementia.”
The lawsuit contends that Smith once suffered three concussions, “all of which were improperly and treated,” in one game in 1988.
That story is right here.
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Vancouver journalist Bob Mackin, the author of Red Mittens and Red Ink: The Vancouver Olympics, is not missing the NHL. Why not? He provides 10 reasons right here.
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And now for your reading enjoyment here is Gene Collier of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette with his 29th annual awarding of the Trite Trophy. If you are a sports fan who reads, listens and watches, you won’t want to miss this look at the mis-language of sports. It’s right here.
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The Regina Pats are back down to the maximum three 20-year-olds following the retirement Sunday of D Alex Theriau. . . . Theriau, from Duncan, B.C., missed the early part of the season after undergoing offseason hip surgery. He was with the Medicine Hat Tigers at the time, but was released as they got down to three 20s. He was picked up by the Pats and played in 16 games. . . . A news release from the Pats states that playing those games “aggravated Theriau’s hip and will force Alex to end his junior career in order to heal and pursue professional and CIS opportunities next season.” . . . Theriau had four points with the Pats and finishes his WHL career with 66 points, 11 of them goals, and 206 penalty minutes in 267 games. . . . The Lethbridge Hurricanes selected Theriau sixth overall in the 2007 bantam draft. . . . The Pats would have been forced into a move because the return of D Colton Jobke left them with four 20s, the other two being G Matt Hewitt and F Lane Scheidl.
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SUNDAY’S GAMES:
In Kelowna, F Myles Bell scored two first-period goals and the Rockets went on to a 5-1 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Kelowna has won 14 straight games at home and now is just two points behind the idle Kamloops Blazers, who lead the B.C. Division. . . . Overall, the Rockets have won 14 of 16. . . . The Rockets had F Colton Sissons, their captain, back in the lineup after he missed a month — 10 games — with a concussion. He scored once. . . . Kelowna G Jordon Cooke returned from a foot injury to stop 18 shots. . . . Everett F Ryan Harrison played in his 300th regular-season game and got to do it in his hometown. . . .

In Regina, F Chandler Stephenson had two goals and four assists as the Pats whipped the Saskatoon Blades, 6-2. . . . Regina built up a 6-0 lead in the second period. . . . Stephenson has eight points in three games since returning from a skate cut. He missed 26 games with that injury. . . . Regina F Morgan Klimchuk added a goal and four assists. . . . The Pats had only five players with at least a point. . . . Regina was 4-for-7 on the PP. . . . The Pats were without F Marc McCoy (knee), who had two goals in Saturday’s 5-1 victory in Moose Jaw. . . . The Blades had beaten the Pats four straight times this season, including 9-0 and 7-0 in the last two meetings. . . . It was something of a lost weekend for the Blades, who lost both ends of a Friday-Saturday home-and-home series with the Prince Albert Raiders. . . .

In Red Deer, F Michael Ferland scored at 13:08 of the third period to give the Brandon Wheat Kings a 6-5 victory over the Rebels. . . . Ferland, 20, was playing in his second game with Brandon after being reassigned by the NHL’s Calgary Flames. . . . The Wheat Kings, with four 20-year-olds on their roster, sat F Nick Buonassisi. . . .

In Vancouver, F Trevor Cheek scored three times to help the Giants to an 8-4 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . Vancouver had lost its last four games. . . . The Giants got three assists from each of F Dalton Sward and F Anthony Ast. . . . Cheek, who scored twice in the second half of the second period and again in the third, has 16 goals. . . . The Giants broke a 3-3 tie by scoring five of the game’s last six goals. . . . F Troy Bourke had two goals and an assist for the Cougars. . . . Vancouver F Taylor Vickerman was ejected at 3:00 of the third period with a major for kneeing.
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CHECKING-FROM-BEHIND COUNT:
F Brenden Walker, Saskatoon
D Luke Fenske, Regina
D Ryley Miller, Brandon
F Quintin Lisoway, Brandon

CHECKING-TO-THE-HEAD COUNT:
None
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From Singh Sports News (@SinghSportsNews): “Did you know: Justin Morneau played 1 preseason game as a goaltender for the Portland Winter Hawks of the WHL”



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.